Toddtoad Ace Attorney
by Yorobot
Summary: Yoshi is found dead, and a group of people are on the crime scene. They each had a terrible and comlicated day, and Toddtoad, an Ace Attorney tries to understand what happened. And they ll replace the puzzle pieces together... in court! Flames are ok!
1. Yoshi! What happened?

Hi guys, it`s my very first crossover, and I`m pretty sure this one has a complex background plot, so you better read well and take notes, or else you`ll get lost on the ton of details. As you must have discovered, it is a story mixing up Mario and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney. Since it is my very first crossover, I don`t know if it will be good. also dunno if you`ll like because you will need brains in many parts of it.

While I`m at the beginning of that story... I doné`t own Mario or Phoenix Wright, but it would be so damn cool if I did.

Chapter 1: Yoshi! What happened?

It was a bad day for the forever happy Yoshi. Today he has had every problem one could think of. First of all his eggs were stolen by an obnoxious human, then someone seen frequently tries finding them, and then this. Yoshi looked at what had hit his heart. But he couldn`t as he fell on the floor, bleeding from an hemorrhage caused by that javelin that came from nowhere. Nobody could see him dying, and there was no 1-Up Mushroom around.

***

Only thirty minutes later, Mario, Peach, Bowser and Tatanga were around Yoshi, but the poor green dinosaur was already dead. Mario put out the javelin.

"Oh no, the blood has fully covered the spear. We can`t see any seal…"

"What?" Peach asked.

"Well, remember what we saw earlier, the weapons all had the Bowser face seal."

"So that`s what you meant? What a pesky plumber…" Bowser answered. "Always messing up with my things. Can you give me a break for once?"

"Hey, what am I doing here?" Tatanga asked. "I never should have left my Entrakingdomian cage at theCreep Show in the fair…"

"Shut up, Tatanga!" Bowser screamed. "I know you stole something from me, the brand new weapon I bought at the shop."

"Which new weapon?" Mario asks.

"None of your business, Pasta Plumber Eater. Where is it, Outerspacian?"

"How did you call me?" Tatanga yelled.

"STOP!" Princess Peach screamed then. "We were going to my Castle to arrange all that. Now we are in really big trouble! We found the dead body, we might each get suspected! Even I!"

Just at that time, the four characters heard an argument coming from the bushes. Daisy and Wario came out, fighting with their fists and apparently having a bad day as well. While going out of the bushes, Daisy stepped on something and looked down.

"What is th… a weapon?"

Bowser recognized the object.

"My gun! My brand-new weapon! And this freaking alien stole it!"

"What?" Tatanga continued. "Hey! I got nothing to do about all that! I found this in the Haunted Mansion, and there was no name written on it! I was at first planning to use it for my escape!"

No one understood what was happening. It`s just then that Birdo arrived with some of Yoshi`s eggs.

"What are you doing with that?" Wario asked. "I had them fir…"

"What are you saying, Wario? You got nothing to do on that!"

"Hell yes, I do have something to do in that entire story!" Wario answered.

Just then Waluigi arrived on the crime scene. "Guys, where were you? I have been searching for five min… WAAAAAAH!" He saw the dead body. "It`s not me, I swear! I have never seen that javelin before! Um, I mean… what happened here? Did I miss something really terrible while I was at the Fair?"

Just as everyone was arguing about that, some shouting, some yelling, some others screaming, but everyone talking real loudly to anyone else, a loud voice came from the bushes.

"Hands up everyone! The police is here!"

A troop of Policetoads arrived from the bushes, and Detective Shroomlock arrived, holding professor E. Gadd close. Birdo looked troubled for a split second, and then went back to her usual circle-mouth. Detective Shroomlock began talking.

"I learned from this professor-inventor-doctor-something that one of you had stolen one of its creations. WW—HH—AA—TT?" the detective said, seeing the dead corpse of Yoshi. "OKAY, EVERYONE, WHO DID THIS?"

Each character pointed to someone else, creating some kind of chain where there was no beginning or end.

"So is no one of you wants to talk, then we`ll arrange all that at the Peach Justice Court!"

As the group began saying things like "No way!" "Hey!" "You can`t do that!" "What?", the group was embarked in a small police machine and sent to jail for the night.

***

While in jail, Mario called Luigi.

"I`m in jail, Luigi. I need help, our trial is tomorrow!"

"No way, Mario, is that some kind of April Fools joke?"

"Are we in April? Do you just happen to know which Mushroom Kingdom month we`re in, anyway?"

"Okay, okay," Luigi answered. "I`ll do my best. I`ll call the bestest lawyer in the Mushroom Kingdom: Toddtoad!"

"Are you sure? He`s really expensive!"

"Got any other idea, Mario? You know very well who Bowser is gonna choose for a prosecutor. Kamek, of course. He is smart, he is logical; he can turn any argument into nothing. The only one who can outsmart him is Toddtoad."

***

The following day, at the Court…  
"May the court begin!" Toadsworth, as the judge, said. "What is our case today? An egg robbery, an alien kidnapping, a domicile violation, an unauthorized collection of weapons, and a murder? Okay, this will be a full day…"

"Um, judge Toadsworth?" Shroomlock said. "It is all part of the same case, as was told by our suspects and witnesses. Almost everyone has done something bad, and everyone has its part in the story."

"What is the main case then?"

"The murder, Sir. There are many witnesses and three main suspects."

"Fine. Who is the main suspect?"

"Bowser. The prosecutor for this case will be Kamek the Magikoopa."

"And who is the attorney?"

"It is Toddtoad, sir. He is helped by Luigi."

"That will be an excellent day…" Toadsworth said, sighing. "We all know Todtoad and Kamek hate each other. There will be flaming going around… We shall begin the court."

Toddtoad arrives at his desk, and readies himself for a long talk battle. Kamek appeared in a puff of smoke on his side of the court room.

"Do you think it will be OK, Toddtoad?" Luigi asked.

"Yes, but this is one of the most complicated cases I`ll have ever seen… Can you tell me who I am protecting exactly?"

"Um… it is quite difficult… since all these personalities have been seen on the crime scene, and the weapon apparently appeared out of nowhere to kill Yoshi, they are all suspected, however the main enemies are now considered suspects, and the others are now witnesses. I suppose you are protecting Mario from any risk."

The judge Toadsworth thought about it and said: "Fine, the first witness may enter: Birdo, if you would like to enter the Court Room..."

To be continued… Birdo makes her testimony and is cross-examined. She is not clean of everything as she will reveal… she has a huge part to do in the long story of the day the murder occurred. Can Toddtoad unravel the lies in her testimony and prove she is guilty of something? Because she is, but nobody knows yet… except for me, but I`m not going to say it. I`m not a punch-revealer. Well, unless you already have an idea on who did it... because it van be any of them. Even Mario, sadly.


	2. Birdo! I find you guilty!

I really don`t own either series, which really sucks. Mario is my all-time favorite, I know his story on the tip of my fingers, ask me a question and I`ll most likely answer it. Is Birdo a boy or a girl? Okay, you got me there. Nobody knows, not even Shigeru I bet. Anyway, I`m also new at Ace Attorney but I liked Apollo Justice. I like the way the stories are complicated enough to keep you hooked until 11 PM. That is, until you know truly did the murder. I could never know it was (censored spoiler) who killed (insert a victim`s name here), even though I proved it!

Chapter 2: Birdo! I find you guilty!

Birdo stepped on the witness stand. Everything on this witness smelled "guilty". Or maybe it was just her perfume. Her? Maybe his. This is one big point out of this case. Birdo replaced her (or his) ribbon over his/her head and looked at Toadsworth, then looked at Kamek, and then at Toddtoad, and finally at Luigi.

"Okay, I got no time to lose, so we should begin right away," she said.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Toddtoad asked. "Here in court, time doesn`t matter. Actually it does, but not in the court itself. We only talk about the time and date of a murder or reprehensible act."

"OBJECTION!" Kamek screamed. "This is not time for poesy, you know." Then, facing Birdo: "Can you tell us what you saw that night?"

"Well, as I arrived at Sunny Mushroom Beach, I saw the dead corpse of Yoshi, with a long javelin through his heart. I also saw Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, Wario, Daisy and that strange alien."

We head from the background: "My name is Tatanga!"

Toadsworth smashed the hammer two times, ordering the room to get back to calm. "This will be a long day…" he thought to himself.

Kamek opened his mouth. "So you say you knew nothing of the crime."

"I don`t! I had a few problems with Yoshi that day, but I arrived..."

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad screamed. "This is too vague. From what the witnesses and suspects said back there, the entire day has lead to a succession of events that finally ended at Yoshi`s death. We have to sort all this out, and that is why we will ask Birdo to recall the entire day, from 7 AM to 7 PM. I really need the entire telling please."

"I do not think it is useful," Kamek said. "If the witness has only spent a part of the day with Yoshi, then we only need to hear these portions of the day."

"You`re wrong, Kamek. I may not have been clear enough a few seconds ago, but these ten people have actually all a role to play in this, according to their comments while they were being sent to jail. The number of side stories in this case is big, not to say humongous, and everyone is guilty of at least a crime, might it be small as stealing a shirt or big as killing a dinosaur. We will need the entire testimony out of Birdo. If you please, Birdo, I would like to hear about the first hours starting from 7 AM."

"Well then," Birdo said. "At 7, I was at the tennis court. I had learned from Princess Peach, some days ago, that Princess Daisy was coming for an "official visit" of some sort. Also, she was coming for the fair, which opened yesterday. I played for a short while with her, and after we changed our tennis clothing for normal clothing, I headed off to the beach, hoping to get a nice tan."

"When I arrived, at 9, I saw Yoshi nowhere, so I put my things down, until I saw no sun cream in my backpack. So I headed off to the Shop owned by Toadswore. There I bought the sun cream I needed, and then I came back to the beach. I had kept my things there, and at my return I was surprised to see Yoshi sleeping on my towel. So I woke him up and he said someone had stolen his eggs, and he is desperate at finding them."

"He told me they were around Peach`s Castle, and he never found them, so I decided to find them for him. It was 12 AM when I stepped for a second time into the shop, asking about an item to find anything that had to be found. Toadswore handed me some kind of metal detector with an Item Selection Screen. I rushed to Peach`s Castle right away. At 2 o`clock, I was searching for about an hour but I found nothing."

"Then, Yoshi arrived at Peach`s Castle, but I hid the machine from him. I sort of wanted to keep it as a gift, a secret, a good deed. I finally found Yoshi`s eggs, but they were in height. I really wanted to help him, so I went again to the shop, and I rented rocket shoes. I went back to Peach`s Castle – it was 5 PM. But Wario attacked me without any reason! I won the battle and rushed to the Beach. However, when I arrived there, I saw a small group of people looking to the corpse."

"This is one complicated story," Toadsworth said. "Prosecutor Kamek, do you have anything to add?"

"No, I even think this testimony is too long."

"If it helps us finding flaws in this entire thing, Birdo will have to tell the truth. Birdo, say again the first part of your testimony."

"At 7, I was at the tennis court. I had learned from Princess Peach, some days ago, that Princess Daisy was coming for an "official visit" of some sort."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "An official visit"? Which kind of official visit exactly?"

"Well, Daisy didn`t tell me much about it, but I heard it was some kind of routine visit, talking about the recent villain attacks and preparing to face the following ones. After all, between Princesses, they have to help each other. A girl knows what girls will talk about!" Birdo said, winking.

"Fine, continue with your testimony."

"Also, she was coming for the fair, which opened yesterday. I played a short while with her, and after we changed out clothes."

"HOLD ON! You… changed your clothes? You`re not wearing any, Birdo."

"Oh, Toddtoad. Always fixating on useless details," Kamek said. "I do not think this is useful for the case."

"Actually it is, in a way, it proves that indeed Birdo lies very often or she just doesn`t thinks before talking. Birdo, you have to think thoroughly what you are going to say, because if you lie, we will know it. But on the first part of this, you said the fair opened yesterday. That is, the day the murder occured. Strange coincidence, isn`t it?"

"Ask the manager!" Birdo said. "It`s Toadswore, the shopkeeper."

"We will do that later. For now it`s your testimony that counts. Continue."

"After she changed her tennis clothing for normal clothing, I headed off to the beach, hoping to get a nice tan."

"And you went there without passing anywhere else, am I right?"

"Yes. I went straight to the beach. I wanted to arrive before anyone else because I wanted to have a nice tan."

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad yelled. "Here are two big lies you just said."

Birdo just looked at him with an expression of hatred.

"First of all, you cannot tan, you are a dinosaur. And for the second time, if Daisy really told you about the fair, someone like you would rather prefer going there instead."

Birdo stood in shock behind the witness` stand, her red ribbon falling off. She replaced it, and answered the objection.

"Well, first of all, as you can see my tan, as you can say, is not brown like humans` tan. Yo have seen me red before, isn`t it? Well, this is my tan, I go red while under the sun. I like red."

"Do we have any proof of it?" Toddtoad asked.

"We don`t," Prosecutor Kamek said. "And today is a rainy day, so we can`t really go ask her to go to the beach and come back in a few hours. But Mario indeed saw Birdo red in a few occasions."

Toddtoad sighed. "Okay then, the witness can move on to the second part of her testimony."

"When I arrived, at 9, I saw Yoshi nowhere, so I put my things down, until I saw no sun cream in my backpack. So I headed off to the Shop owned by Toadswore. There I bought the sun cream I needed, and then I came back to the beach. I had kept my things there, and at my return I was surprised to see Yoshi sleeping on my towel. So I woke him up and he said someone had stolen his eggs, and he is desperate at finding them."

"Okay, say again the first part of this, please."

"When I arrived, at 9, I saw Yoshi nowhere, so I put my things down, until I saw no sun cream in my backpack."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "You knew you were leaving for the beach and you forgot sun cream? That is brilliant. Why so?"

"Well, that morning I knew I was to see Princess Daisy again, so I forgot to pass by the shop that morning to buy sun cream. So I headed off to the shop owned by Toadswore. There I bought the sun cream I needed and then I came back to the beach."

"Wait a second… did the shopkeeper told you anything while you were there?"

"Just the prize of the sun cream... twenty-seven coins…" Birdo said, with her arms crossed.

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad screamed. "I know you lied here!" Birdo just looked at him.

"And why would you be so sure about that?"

"When you lie, you scratch you left elbow. I have a special artifact around my neck which detects lies, and it strongly reacts to the words you just said, "twenty-seven coins…"

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "Why would a dinosaur that lies about the prize of her sun cream be that important?"

"Actually, the short pause after the word "cream" was to make up a number. Why would a sun cream tube be so expensive? Usually it`s around 11 coins. The truth is… she never knew how much it was, because she never really bought it."

"W-H-A-T?" Birdo yelled. "Actually he told me the prize, but he said I would get anything in his shop for free if I bring him something he wants."

"And what is it that he wanted?"

"I… can`t say it yet."

"Fine, continue your testimony."

"I had kept my things on the beach, and when I came back I saw Yoshi sleeping over my towel. So I woke him up and he said someone had stolen his eggs, and he is desperate at finding them."

"Hold on," Toddtoad said, without screaming this time. "What time was it then?"

"It was 11. After he told me that, I rushed to Peach`s Castle to find the eggs for him – he told me they were hidden around the Castle. I wanted to help him, so I rushed to Peach`s Castle, but before that I stepped again at Toadswore `s shop to buy something that can find anything."

"Move on with your testimony, please."

"Yoshi told me the eggs were around Peach`s Castle, and he never found them, so I decided to find them for him. It was 12 AM when I stepped for a second time into the shop, asking about an item to find anything that had to be found. Toadswore handed me some kind of metal detector with an Item Selection Screen. I rushed to Peach`s Castle right away. At 2 o`clock, I was searching for about an hour but I found nothing."

"May the cross-examination for this part of the testimony begin, please. If you mind repeating the first sentences, Birdo."

"He told me they were around Peach`s Castle, and he never found them, so I decided to find them for him. It was 12 AM when I stepped for a second time into the shop, asking about an item to find anything that had to be found. Toadswore handed me some kind of metal detector with an Item Selection Screen. I rushed to Peach`s Castle right away. At 2 o`clock, I was searching for about an hour but there I found nothing."

Kamek laughed for a few seconds. "You found nothing here to say, don`t you, Toddtoad? Unless you have some kind of evidence to show us…"

"Actually, I do. This morning before the trial began, I went to the shop, and I asked Toadswore to give me a list of everything that had been sold that day at that shop. Guess what?"

"What exactly, smarToad?" Kamek said, laughing.

"On this day`s sold things, there is no record of any metal detector-like thing. In fact, the shop sells nothing that looks like a metal detector. This part of your testimony is just one big fat lie."

Birdo stood in shock, her ribbon nearly falling off her head. "But then, how do you think I could have had such an anything-finder?"

"Oh, you`re near enough of the name. You say you stepped in the shop at 12 AM, and as coincidences never happen alone, there was a robbery at E. Gadd`s house at the same time. As your testimony is a lie, there is only one reason: you wanted to hide something from us. And what is it? That you STOLE that item from Gadd`s laboratory, of course!"

"Are you really sure of what you`re saying, Toddy?" Kamek asked. "This is quite an important accusation you`re doing here, you know. Breaking into one`s domicile and stealing something is worth a good time in jail."

"I am sure of it, because this morning, as Detective Shroomlock was searching for clues and evidence to present here, he found the Anything-Gaddfinder behind Peach`s Castle. When you arrived in the crime scene, yesterday at 7 PM, you were holding the eggs, so you couldn`t bring the Gaddfinder with you."

Kamek yelled "Stop!" and everyone looked at him.

"Listen, Toddtoad, I think it is too early for conclusions, don`t you? This case is something else than the main thing. Here, the goal is to find who killed the dinosaur Yoshi, not to know who broke in E. Gadd`s lab and stole his creation."

"It may in fact be an important piece of the story, because as we know, Birdo was searching for Yoshi`s eggs. The only real reason for this is unknown yet. That is why we will continue the testimony," Toadsworth said.

"Fine," Birdo said, already framed. "At 2 PM I had been searching for an hour but I found nothing."

"Has anyone seen you?" Toddtoad asked.

"I suppose I can no more lie. Yes, Mario and Peach saw me searching for the eggs, but I hid the Anything-Gaddfinder from them. I knew I would be in a lot of troubles if Mario was to discover that thing with me."

"Fine, the witness may now continue her testimony."Toadsworth said.

"Then, Yoshi arrived at Peach`s Castle, but I hid the machine from him. I sort of wanted to keep it as a gift, a secret, a good deed. I finally found Yoshi`s eggs, but they were in height. I really wanted to help him, so I went again to the shop, and I rented rocket shoes. I went back to Peach`s Castle – it was 5 PM. But Wario attacked me without any reason! I won the battle and rushed to the Beach. However, when I arrived there, I saw a small group of people looking to the corpse."

Toddtoad thought to himself. "Okay, so this is the last part of her testimony. That is the last chance I have of letting Birdo tell why she wanted the eggs that much. I am sure and certain that it was not to help Yoshi. Who would commit a crime to help someone? It`s the final lap before we change of witness."

"Cross-examination may begin," Toadsworth said.

"Fine, your Honor," Toddtoad and Kamek said.

"When Yoshi arrived at Peach`s Castle, I hid the machine from him."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad said. "You hid the machine? You stole it to retrieve his eggs, so why didn`t you tell him?"

"I said earlier it was some kind of gift, a secret, a good deed, you know, something we keep secret to surprise someone."

"Yes, but he would not have understand about the Anything-Gaddfinder. I suppose you really wanted to find his eggs, but not give them to him. Am I right?"

Birdo shook her head. "I suppose I owe you some explanation. You got me at this point. You know, the shopkeeper, Toadswrore… I had heard rumors that he was not a straight man and that he had done some terrible things back then. I would like to know if this is true. Can you ask Detective Shroomlock to search through the police documents?"

"Well, I suppose it is possible. Court is stopped for a recess of an hour."

***

In the waiting room…

"Good job, Toddtoad!" Luigi said. "You really caught Birdo! Now she will have to admit everything."

And just as they were talking about her, the egg-spitting girl/boy/whatever arrived in front of them.

"You really want me to go to jail, don`t you?" she asked.

Toddtoad gulped. "I don`t want any of you to go to jail, it is difficult for me to always have to ask questions to people who look nice. But it`s my job, I can do nothing about that. I have to help Luigi here prove his brother Mario has done absolutely nothing bad that day."

"But what about the witnesses?" Aren`t they supposed to be good as well?" Birdo asked.

"About 25% of the cases I was on had a witness do it. 50% had another suspect do it, while others had someone who is not really part of the story who did it. At 5% approximately, it was my client who did it. And I was unable to prove it didn`t. The court will start soon… I should be going."

***

"Court restarts now," Toadsworth said, smashing the hammer on the desk. "Birdo, you will have the last part of testimony to say a last time, after you learn what you wanted to know. During the recess, Detective Shroomlock did search through the criminal cases and discovered a most shocking thing: Toadswore has already been a poacher in his youth. He was very often seen tracking down critters and selling them to families or pet shops. Some wild Goombas were taken right out of the forest to be put in cages and bought by people. He was making a pile of coins with this practice. After the authorities caught him, he swore to stop, even though he kept many secrets he knew. Might it be possible that he has revealed one of these secrets to you?"

"Maybe…" Birdo vaguely answered. "All I know is that he made a deal with me; I would have everything I would take in his shop for free if I were to bring him Yoshi eggs. Why so, I have no idea. But as a shopping-loving girl as I, it was something not to miss. That`s why I got my sun cream for free, and later the rocket shoes."

"Okay, this will be added to the testimony. If you would please tell again the last part of your testimony, please, including what has been added.

"Then, Yoshi arrived at Peach`s Castle, but I hid the machine from him. I sort of wanted to keep it as a gift, a secret, a good deed. I finally found Yoshi`s eggs, but they were in height. I really wanted to help him, so I went again to the shop, and I rented rocket shoes. I went back to Peach`s Castle – it was 5 PM. But Wario attacked me without any reason! I won the battle and rushed to the Beach, passing there to go back to Toadswore`s shop. However, when I arrived on the beach, I saw a small group of people looking to the corpse."

"Cross-examination may begin, Mr. Toddtoad."

"Thanks, your Honor. Birdo, will you please repeat the first part of this last testimony?"

"…Yes. Yoshi arrived at Peach`s Castle, but I hid the machine from him. I sort of wanted to keep it as a gift, a secret, a good deed. I finally found Yoshi`s eggs, but they were in height."

"So they were hidden in a tree, is that so?"

"Yes, they were in height, and I really wonder how they got there. The one who hid them really didn`t want anyone to find them, as if he or she had the same goal as me…"

"We will see later. Please continue, Birdo."

"I really wanted to help him, so I went again to the shop, and I rented rocket shoes. I went back to Peach`s Castle – it was 5 PM."

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "You already admitted you weren`t trying to find his eggs for him but to give them to Toadswore. I think this part of your entire testimony has disappeared in a puff of thin air."

"Yes, and also the part about the rocket shoes. She said earlier that if she was to bring him the eggs, she would not have to pay. Rocket shoes renting IS expensive, so she really wanted to get the eggs so that her money would not disappear into a puff of thin air as well. However she didn`t have to pay since with this, she was sure that the eggs would be retrieved. Go on, Birdo."

"But Wario attacked me without any reason! I won the battle and rushed to the Beach, passing there to go back to Toadswore`s shop."

"Hold on. You mean Wario attacked you?"

"Yes he did, and he used his foul breath to poison me, he even tried his fart bomb, but I still won over him by spitting eggs and using the Hearteye, a move I designed myself. I won, however I didn`t want to meet him on the way, so I passed by the beach. He left toward Bowser`s Castle. It was now 6 o`clock."

"Just by curiosity, what is the Hearteye?" Toddtoad asked.

"A psychic attack I created, eyes appear in my eyes and I become so beautiful to men that they do whatever I want them to."

"Okay… (Remind me to never anger her…) Please go on."

"However, when I arrived on the beach, I saw a small group of people looking to the corpse."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled for the umpteenth time. "You passed by the beach, as told so, but weren`t the people surprised of seeing you coming with the eggs?"

"Yes they were, they immediately thought I was the one who did it. Notice however that during the entire story I never ever saw the javelin used to kill Yoshi. Now that my part is done, can I leave?"

"Not yet, you will have to pay for the crimes you still have done – you broke in E. Gadd`s house and stole one of his properties. And you also had a plan to steal eggs from Yoshi and give them to a poacher. All this can bring you a long time in jail, or if you decide to pay the bill for it…" Toadsworth said.

"Yes, I`ll pay, I`ll pay!"

"That will be 270 coins – it should be 250, but you lied quite often during your testimony."

"You`ll have them in a week, I swear."

"Court is adjourned for the day!"

***

In next chapter… now that Birdo is done telling her side of the story, it is Bowser`s turn. The prime suspect claims to have done nothing, and says his kids have done a good part in this story. Now the Seven Koopalings each have prepared one of Bowser`s Keep`s weapon, with the help of a critter, and at a precise hour. Now Toddtoad and Luigi have to sort out their clues in a logic game that might give headaches. Who was fiddling with the javelin? Be careful, one Koopaling is lying!


	3. Koopalings! Lying gets you Nowhere!

**I still don`t own the Mario series. Why would I? I`m just a tiny fanfic-writer who shares his stoy ideas to the whole world instead of sending them to Shigeru Miyamoto - if that is even possible.**

Chapter 3: Koopalings, or When Lying Gets You Nowhere

The following day…

Bowser stepped on the stand.

"This will be a most interesting day, Toddtoad. The main suspect is in front of us," Kamek said.

"We will see. Usually suspects are great liars. So, Bowser, how is it to be the prime suspect?"

"Feeling as usual. I`m used to be targeted as the one who did anything wrong."

"So, Bowser. You have been found at the crime scene. And you looked surprised to see Yoshi, dead, with a javelin through his heart. Why so?"

"Well, I must say that I was surprised because… one of my Koopalings was working with a javelin."

"What is this story now?" Toddtoad asked.

"That day, at 7 in the morning, I had assigned each Koopaling a task on a weapon, at a precise hour, with a critter to help it. And I am more than sure the javelin found in Yoshi is the one my Koopaling was using. I think that if you ask them each some clues, you might learn who did it, at which hour, and with which enemy."

"Can you give us the list of things before? In that case, if we don`t hear from something in their testimonies, we will still have it."

Bowser grumbled. "Fine. The Koopalings are Iggy Koopa, Larry Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Ludwig Von Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr, Roy and Wendy O. Koopa. The hours were 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM. As for the weapons, they are a Bullet Bill Blaster, a Cannon, a Falling Hammer, a Firebar, the javelin, some spikes and a Thwomp. The critters are a Buzzy Beetle, a Goomba, a Koopa Troopa, a Lakitu, a Shy Guy, a Snifit and a Spiny."

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "What would it be used for? After all, six Koopalings out of seven have nothing to do on this case. Why would it be so important to discover what every one had to do?"

"Objection rejected, Kamek," Toadsworth said. "If we do find the Koopaling who was testing the javelin, there are big chances that it is him or her who did it, by throwing the javelin. Court is adjourned for an hour recess. This is for the time that Bowser brings his Koopalings. He will be followed by a large troop of Police Toads to ensure he does nothing bad. We will also make sure he brings every Koopaling."

***

"Luigi, what do you think about this? More headaches… Bowser said before appearing on the stand that his Koopalings, if they were to give clues, would only each give three. However, the number of combinations is big. Do you have an idea, Luigi?"

"Well, yes. I have once played a logic game called Logigram. And I think I can make a grid like it for this case."

Luigi took a checkered paper and a pencil.

"Look, at first, on the left side of the sheet, I do six big squares of 7X7 in a square triangle pattern. That is, three big squares on top, two below, one at the lowest. And that also makes three columns, one long, one shorter, and one which is only 1 big square."

"Okay… I`m not sure I understand, but continue."

"Then, at the three-square row, I write horizontally the names of the Koopalings at the far left. Below this, at the left of the two-square row, I write the names of the critters` species. Finally, at the far left of the one-square row, I write the names of the weapons."

"Wait, Luigi, you forgot the hours!"

"Not at all, that`s why I left space on top of the grid. Look, at the top of the three-square column, I write the hours vertically. On the two-square column, I write the names of the weapons, and on the last…"

"The critters."

"You got it, Todtoad. Look now at the grid. Isn`t it logical? In that way, anything can link to anything else."

"Hey, that`s right!"

"Now, Toddtoad, watch how it works. If a Koopaling says that something doesn`t go with something else, we write an X on the square where the two meet. Look, if one Koopaling says that the Spiny didn`t work on the cannon, I write an X at the intersection where the Spiny row and the cannon column meet."

"That`s logical. Now erase that X because it may be real. Just wondering, when a fact is proved by one Koopaling, what do we do?"

"Then we write an O on the intersection. If, as you said, it is revealed that the Spiny worked on the cannon, then I write an O at the intersection. Then, I write Xs on each square of the row and column where the O appeared, but only in this square."

To show his explanation, Luigi write an X everywhere the Cannon was joining another critter, which made a straight row that stopped at the square`s top line. He then wrote Xs on the row the O was, because if the Spiny has worked on the Cannon it has not worked with anything else.

"You see, it is a complicated game. But when you get the hang of it, you will have fun deciphering one`s clues to find the final answer to this kind of logical puzzle."

"Excuse me, Toddtoad…" someone said. Toddtoad lifted the eyes off the grid and saw Bowser.

"For the needs of this thing, I gotta say I didn`t do it. I had problems on my own. I will talk about that later, okay? Now just ask my Koopalings. Oh, and one last thing: I heard you discovered Birdo`s nervous tick when she lies, eh? Well, my Koopalings all have one. If you happen to find who is lying, then it will be him or her who did it. I`m smart enough to guess that."

"Court will begin anytime now, so I should be going…"

***

"May the first Koopaling enter!" Toadsworth said. Iggy Koopa entered the courtroom. "If I understand very well what Bowser said, then all of you will only give three clues, and out attorney and prosecutor will be there to link the clues together and finally know who did what.

"I still believe it is useless, your Honor. But if all this is needed to shut closed Toddtoad`s mouth… Name and occupation, please."

"Iggy Koopa, Koopaing at Bowser`s service."

"Your three clues, please…" Toddtoad asked. "My helper Luigi is there to fill in the game grid."

"What did you say?" Toadsworth asked.

"Well, during the recess he showed me how to make a logic puzzle grid for this kind of situation. And with it we will find out who did what. Your three clues, please."

"Fine. First of all, I was working before 4 PM. Second, my partner was four-legged. Last, I was testing something related to fire."

"I will need some things to be cleared first," Luigi said. "When you say your partner was four-legged, you mean there was only the Spiny or the Buzzy Beetle, is that it?"

"Yes."

"And when you talk about something related to fire, you mean the Firebar, but also the guns, which are the Bullet Bill Blaster and the Cannon, is that right?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Let the second Koopaling enter."

As Larry Koopa entered the room, Toddtoad asked Luigi: "Do you have any ideas yet?"

"We don`t have enough. I still have no O in my grid."

"Can Koopaling #2 tell his own clues? Name before, please."

"I`m Larry Koopa. My first clue is that I was working after 2 PM. My second clue is that it is a Goomba who helped with the spikes trap. Finally, the Koopaling who was testing te falling Hammer worked at 8."

"HOLD ON!" Luigi yelled. "8? Do you mean 8 AM or PM?"

"This you discover yourself, I am not going to tell too much."

As the Koopaling walked out, Luigi told Toddtoad:

"It`s good! One O."

"Um, actually you don`t know which Koopaling worked with the Goomba for the spikes."

"I know!" Luigi answered. "But I`ll write this somewhere on the page, and when I`ll need it I`ll just remember and it will add more O the next time."

"Okay, I think I understand more and more how the game works."

The third Koopaling entered the room. "Name, please," Toadsworth asked.

"I`m Lemmy. Lemmy Koopa. Lemme tell you my three clues now. It is not a Koopa who helped at 10 AM. Morton Jr has helped after the murder. And Wendy O. Koopa helped with a shooting weapon."

"I need some things to be cleared, Lemmy. Lemme ask you now, to use the same pun," Luigi said. "When talking about a Koopa, do you include the Lakitu in that category?"

"Yes. Of course I do!" Lemmy said.

"Then, when you say that Morton Koopa Jr helped after the murder, do you mean after 6 PM?"

"That is it. There is only one thing left, eh?"

"Yes, I suppose. So Wendy O. helped with a shooting weapon. Are these only the Bullet Bill Blaster and the cannon?"

"Yes they are. Can I leave now?"

"Sure," Toddtoad finished. Luigi turned to the Ace Attorney.

"Hey, I already got some pointers! There is a pack of Os now in the grid, with trice as many Xs."

"Great! Does that means we know who was manipulating the javelin?"

"Not yet. We still have 4 Koopalings to ask. Let the next one come in."

Ludwig Von Koopa arrived on the stand. "I am Ludwig Von Koopa, and my three clues are coming. Clue number 1 is that I was not helped by a four-legged critter. Clue number 2 is that the javelin was tested by a Snifit. Clue number three is that the Thwomps were the first tested weapon."

Toddtoad looked at Ludwig Von Koopa.

"I`m sure you are lying here. When you began telling your clues, you began sweating. However, I don`t know exactly which one is false. So re-tell them, please."

As Ludwig Von Koopa was telling a second time his clues, Toddtoad activated his own item. This could give him the power to look in one`s mind, after seeing their nervous ticks, to turn clearer the shadowy parts of the testimony. Like on a Nintendo DS screen, this item would work like a stylus erasing black ink on a sheet, revealing only what can`t disappear. He didn`t need it for Birdo, but this can come in handy sometimes. While Ludwig Von Koopa was telling the clues, Toddtoad "erased" the black parts in the Koopaling`s mind. He ended up with a few words, like "lie", "Snifit" and "javelin". That meant he was truly the one lying!

"I just saw what you were thinking, Ludwig Von Koopa. The clue about the Snifit isn`t true. And you think that… it was YOU with the javelin!"

Ludwig Von Koopa stood in shock, his hair usually standing by them, now falling, giving him a weird look. They replaced instantly.

"Okay, you got me there. However, you still have no clue when and with what I practiced that weapon."

"Oh, w already have an idea, Ludwig. You know, after deciphering your black thoughts and seeing your lie about the Snifit, I knew it was you with the javelin, because as Bowser told me in the Lobby, the Koopaling who lies is the one with the javelin."

"I suppose we are done yet?" Kamek asked. "This thing has been too long."

"Nope," Luigi answered. "We still need to know the time where the javelin was used and with which critter. We will listen to the three remaining Koopalings. And also, I hate to leave a grid unfinished. Let Koopaling #5 enter."

Morton Koopa Jr entered the room.

"Tell your name and clues, please."

"Morton Koopa Jr. My clues? Are you sure you need them? I thought so. Goodbye. No, I will tell them, I have nothing better to do. A Goomba was helping at noon. I was being helped by a Koopa Troopa. And the javelin was tested before 6 PM and after 10 AM. Au revoir."

"Luigi, did you find any more Os?"

"Sure, a ton of them. Remember the link we had made between the Goomba and the spikes? Well, now we know this was at noon, so I can put an O at the intersection of noon and spikes as well."

"Brilliant! Do you still need a lot of help on that?"

"Not much, the two remaining Koopalings will fill the gaps. Let the sixth Koopaling enter."

Roy Koopa arrived on the stand. "I`m Roy. You want clues? Want to get them out of me? Want me to yell them? No way. But here they are. One: Lemmy helped for the Thwomps. Two: Iggy helped before noon, but not on the cannon and not with a Buzzy Beetle. Three: The Lakitu helped for the Bullet Bill Blasters, but the Buzzy Beetle helped for the cannon. See ya."

As Roy was leaving, Luigi was filling up the grid with Xs and Os. The grid was almost complete.

"Just one thing bothers me in these clues, he said Iggy helped before noon, but not on the Cannon, and not with a Buzzy Beetle. Does that means that the cannon and the Buzzy Beetle are not at noon neither?"

"That`s exactly it. It`s the more complicated part of that game."

The last Koopaling stepped in the room.

"Since I`m the last one, I will do that fast. The Shy Guy helped at 4 PM. I was working at 2 PM, but not on the cannon or the javelin and not with a Snifit. Finally, the firebars were tested at 10 AM, but not with the Koopa Troopa, the Shy Guy or the Snifit."

***

Toddtoad and Luigi left to the Lobby, as the judge gave ten minutes of recess.

"Have you completed the grid, Luigi?"

"I do! I found out that Ludwig Von Koopa tested the javelin, at 4 PM and with a Shy Guy, This should help anyone who was trying to do it but got lost in the clues."

"Just who else exactly would play this game for fun? It`s too complicated for me."

"When you get the hang of it, you love these games. They`re a decent brain challenge. I even think once in a while, Peach grabs one puzzle like this one to spend time."

"There`s just one last thing I need to know…" Toddtoad said. Seeing Ludwig Von Koopa, he approached the Koopaling and asked:

"Since you worked with the javelin, do you happen to remember if there was anything on the blade?"

"Sorry, I don`t remember about that. I was only testing them. I never looked if there was anything on the blade."

As the Koopaling was brought in the police car, which raced directly to Bowser`s Castle, Toddtoad prepared for the next character on the stand; Bowser himself. That will be a difficult thing.

"And since it happened at 4 PM and the murder was at 6, there is only one possible thing; someone stole that javelin and used it to kill Yoshi. But who?"

In next chapter… it`s Bowser`s turn! Bowser will cause troubles because there are some things he never wanted to tell, and Toddtoad`s magical artifact might reveal everything to the crowd! Bowser may lie, but his mind can`t. How will Toddtoad find the truth in that testimony? And what are the other shadowy points in the entire day`s story? Wow, I wrote that like an episode of 24… with many things happening at the same time. Weird… See you next chapter!


	4. Bowser! Your turn now!

**Disclaimer: I never heard of any lamer disk than a disclaimer, but... whatever, I don`t own the Mario series, and the concept of a long day all explained in court comes from Ace Attorney series. *in my head:* Man, I would like to own these series? And while I`m at it, who will kill the Grim Reaper when it will die? Oh don`t think about things like that, it gives you a skullache.**

Chapter 4: Bowser! Your Turn Now!

Bowser stepped on the stand. "I`m still there? I don`t think I still need to be here," the turtle said.

"Sorry, Lord Bowser," Kamek said. "But sadly, we have to ask you about the day you had. And, in the deepest of my soul, I really like to see that for once, I am in a superior position."

Bowser tightened his fists. "I better tell you Kamek, after this whole trial is over, you will have problems."

"You two, you will arrange that "after the trial". Now we have a more important thing to do, Bowser," Toadsworth said. "Would you mind telling your full testimony in front of everyone first?"

"Okay, but there are some dark spots, I don`t remember everything."

"Go ahead anyway."

"As I said earlier, I gave tasks for my Koopalings to do at 7 in the morning that day. But I still had some things to do. At first, I went to Peach`s Castle, to kidnap Peach again. Mario arrived at the exact same time, and we fought, and he won once more. I ran away, towards the shop, because a special delivery was waiting me there. After signing the papers, I left with the item I had ordered to Toadswore."

"I hid the item in the Haunted Mansion, at the Fair which opened that day. I left, only to remember having heard Mario and Peach talking about going to the Fair, so I went back. But when I looked in the mansion, I found the weapon nowhere! I searched for a while, until I stumbled across Mario and Peach again. Another battle began. And Mario told me a valuable piece of information."

"Leaving the haunted Mansion, I met the purple-skinned alien, and I saw he was holding my item, so I chased him until we got to my Castle, at 2 PM. He used the item against me, and escaped again. But I was exhausted, so I stood at my Castle to look at the work done by the Koopalings. But at 3, I was surprised by Mario, who wanted to fight again, and without any reason!"

"I ran away to the Tennis Court, the last place where he would look. I was practicing my smashes when he arrived with Peach, and surprisingly, with that alien. We all got into a huge argument, and Peach, using her authority, had us sent to this court to arrange that entire story. It`s when we passed by the Sunny Mushroom Beach that we found the corpse, and as we knew we could all be accused, we decided to stay there and watch out."

"Is that all?" Kamek asked.

"Yes it is," Bowser answered. "I said everything."

Toddtoad touched his pendant, and looked through Bowser`s mind.

"WOW! It`s totally pitch-black!" Toddtoad thought to himself. "He got a thousand of things to hide, apparently… If there is one thing I learned from my Soul Whitener is that it can only release a layer of black at a time. I also earned that sometimes the thought would be hidden not under black, but under the character`s favorite color, and I would then need to think like them to be able to erase that color. Bowser`s mind is as dark as a closed closet without any window, so I won`t have too much problems… at least he doesn`t have his own color."

Then, turning to Bowser, Toddtoad asked: "There are many holes in this entire testimony. I would like to fill them up. Toadsworth, may I begin the cross-examination?"

"Of course you can, Toddtoad. Let the cross-examination begin! Bowser, would you mind repeating the first part of your testimony?"

"I don`t have any other choice, anyway. I gave tasks for my Koopalings to do at 7 in the morning that day. But I still had some things to do. At first, I went to Peach`s Castle, to kidnap Peach again. Mario arrived at the exact same time, and we fought, and he won once more. I ran away, towards the shop, because a special delivery was waiting me there. After signing the papers, I left with the item I had ordered to Toadswore."

"Can you repeat the sentences, please?" Toddtoad asked.

"Okay… I gave tasks for my Koopalings to do at 7 in the morning that day. But I still had some things to do."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "What kind of things?"

"I had ordered something at Toadswore`s shop, and it had arrived that morning. I received the message from a patrolling Goomba, but he was really scared of me, so he just told that "my package was at the Shop"."

"Continue your testimony, please."

"At first, I went to Peach`s Castle, to kidnap Peach again."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled again. "So you rushed to Peach`s Castle? At 8 in the morning? You really are in a hurry to kidnap the Princess again…"

"Why would that interest you, anyway? I got my reasons," Bowser said, while his picture was blackening in Toddtoad`s vision.

"That`s the signal! There`s something here that needs to be cleaned up!"

Toddtoad`s mind switched to the cleanup minigame. There he found out that while many parts of Bowser`s mind were still pitch-black after the eraser was passed, some others were a bit clearer. One part even disappeared, and below it, in the now white section of the mind, was… a heart with a P inside. It was located in the very center of the turtle`s mind.

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad screamed. "I know why you kidnap the Princess. I thought I would find another reason, but apparently there`s no other reason. You are in love with Princess Peach!"

Bowser stood in shock, fell on his spiky back, rolled on the side to step back on his feet, and looked at Toddtoad.

"Nice work, attorney. So you say you read my mind, eh? Well, I suppose I can`t hide it. I love Princess Peach, despite my rude appearance, and that is why I always kidnap her. But Mario is always there to stop me!"

"Bowser, there is one thing your monster mind didn`t think about on this fact…" Toddtoad said. "You are a monster, don`t forget it. And I suppose Peach would rather marry a human than a monster. Mostly because of wedding might, but I won`t explain myself here, I think everyone knows what I`m talking about. So now that this is cleared, let`s continue with your testimony."

"Mario arrived at the exact same time, and we fought, and he won once more."

"So you are really unlucky, Bowser."

"Yes, but I can explain my loss, I had forgotten to gather my delivery at the Shop."

"Continue…"

"I ran away, towards the shop, because a special delivery was waiting me there. After signing the papers, I left with the item I had ordered to Toadswore."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad said. "So what was this delivery, exactly?"

"I cannot really say it yet, it would clear up everything else."

"You really want to keep this a secret for a while?"

"Yes, but if you go once again in my mind, maybe you will discover what it was."

"Your Grumpiness," Kamek said, "are you really sure that you don`t want to tell us about it?"

"Why would I? It is useless to talk about it since I couldn`t even use it once!"

"You never talked about that however, Bowser!" Toadsworth said.

"Well, I didn`t mention it because I didn't think it was important."

"Anyway, Bowser, you can continue with the second part of your testimony. Repeat it please," Toadsworth asked.

"I hid the item in the Haunted Mansion, at the Fair which opened that day. I left, only to remember having heard Mario and Peach talking about going to the Fair, so I went back. But when I looked in the mansion, I found the weapon nowhere! I searched for a while, until I stumbled across Mario and Peach again. Another battle began. And Mario told me a valuable piece of information."

"Cross-examination may continue," Toadsworth said.

"Thanks, your honor. Bowser?"

"I hid the item in the haunted mansion, at the fair which opened that day."

"Hold on, " Toddtoad said. "Why did you hide the item in the Haunted Mansion? Why not hide it at a place less… crowded? After all, someone might have found it and left with it!"

"That`s what happened too. I had hid it there until I could hide it better."

"Better… like in Sunny Mushroom Beach!" Toddtoad said, lifting an accusing finger toward the monster.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Bowser yelled. "What makes you so sure?"

"Let me recall what happened when you found the corpse, along with Mario, Peach and Tatanga. According to all of you while you were in jail, when Daisy and Wario arrived on the crime scene, fighting over something, an item fell off the bushes. It was some kind of cannon that shoots tiny Bullet Bills."

"How can you prove it was really that?"

Toddtoad took out the gun from his evidence pocket, screaming "TAKE THAT!" at the same time. Bowser looked at the weapon. Then he laughed.

"This? Do you have any proof that it belongs to me?"

"Actually, I do. Remember the list of things we have shown to Birdo? It indicates clearly that at 9 AM, you left the Shop with your delivery, and it is written on the sheet that it contained this item, better known as a gun."

Bowser looked at Toddtoad with scare in his eyes, until he fell on his back again. Going back on his feet, he said:

"Good job, you framed me. You know it is a weapon that I had been waiting for. But can you still find out what is missing? After all, after putting the gun in the Haunted Mansion, I never touched it again."

Toddtoad thought to himself. "Yes, there is still one vital piece of this testimony that is kept hidden… why would Bowser hide such a weapon in such a crowded place? There are two answers: either he knew there was a good place to hide it there, either it was simple luck." Then, looking at Bowser, he said:

"I think I know why you hid the gun in the Haunted Mansion… you knew there was a good place to hide it in there!"

"But how would I?" Bowser asked. "The fair opened only three days ago!"

"Yes, but records prove that the Haunted Mansion has always been there since many years… that means you might have visited it already and found out some interesting things!"

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "We are simply turning around the point now. We`d rather continue the cross-examination without always stopping at details."

"Toddtoad, let the cross-examination continue, please," Toadsworth asked.

"I left, only to remember having heard Mario and Peach talking about going to the Fair, so I went back. But when I looked in the mansion, I found the weapon nowhere!" Bowser recalled.

"So the gun was gone? Without any stupid puns of course…" Toadsworth said.

"Yes, it had disappeared, and that at that time that I encountered Mario again. I was sure it was him. It could only be him, forever messing up with my evil plans and cruel ambitions!"

"We will add this to the testimony then," Toadsworth said.

"Fine, your Honor," Bowser said, not believing he was calling a Toad "your Honor". "I searched for a while, until I stumbled across Mario and Peach again. Another battle began. I was sure it was the pesky plumber who took the gun. But Mario told me a valuable piece of information."

"Hold on," Toddtoad said. "What did he tell you?"

"Well, after he attacked me hard enough to keep me down, I told him I suspected him of stealing my item, and he immediately understood what I was thinking about – the gun, that is. I thought he had seen it before then! But this was confirmed when he said it was Tata-something who had it."

"TATANGA!" we heard in background, from the alien himself.

"Yes, that alien had the gun, and Mario and Peach had seen him around, with the gun, so I found him."

Kamek had nothing to add to that testimony, no more questions to say, so he simply let Toddtoad ask a last question.

"So, what exactly was there in that Haunted Mansion that could push you into hiding the gun there?"

"I… won`t reveal it," Bowser said, gritting his teeth.

"GOTCHA! Bowser, you grit your teeth when you hide something. I saw that quite often since the second testimony you told. That means you`re really hiding something."

Using the Cleaner, Toddtoad went in Bowser`s mind again, only to notice few black parts had been whitened a bit; they were now grey, and erasable. So using his power, Toddtoad erased the grey parts until he saw some kind of locker. It`s a safe. And what else is a safe? A vault, of course.

"I KNOW!" Toddtoad yelled, over-confident. "You hid the gun there because there is a secret vault in that place… a vault where you hide all your weapons!"

Bowser fell on his back a third time. Toddtoad had correctly guessed everything.

"I don`t know how you discovered that, little attorney, but you are right. There is a weapon vault in the haunted Mansion. But it is really well-hidden; I have to push something to get in there! And while we can`t see the vault from outside, we see everything from inside, like some kind of mirror."

"Bowser… you will now tell the third part of your testimony."

"Okay, I continue my story. Leaving the haunted Mansion, I met the purple-skinned alien, and I saw he was holding my item, so I chased him until we got to my Castle, at 2 PM. He used the item against me, and escaped again. But I was exhausted, so I stood at my Castle to look at the work done by the Koopalings. But at 3, I was surprised by Mario, who wanted to fight again, and without any reason!"

"Can you repeat the first sentences, please?"

"Leaving the haunted Mansion, I met the purple-skinned alien, and I saw he was holding my item, so I chased him until we got to my Castle, at 2 PM. He used the item against me, and escaped again."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad said. "He used the gun against you?"

"Yes, he shot once, but he totally missed me. These weapons are a one-hit kill for about anything in this Kingdom but they easily miss. They`re tiny Bullet Bills, after all. That freaking purple alien…"

"MY! NAME! IS! TA! TAN! GA! YOU FREAKING TURTLE MONSTER WITH SPIKES ALL OVER!" we then heard from the background.

"MY NAME IS BOWSER!" the mentioned character answered, yelling even louder.

"ORDER! ORDER! ORDER!" Toadsworth yelled. "If you two don`t shut up right away, I`ll send the Toad Brigade throw you down an endless pit, with no chance of going back on Earth! UNDERSTOOD???"

"Okay…" Bowser said. Tatanga just shut up as well.

"Next part of your testimony, please," Toadsworth said.

"But I was exhausted, so I stood at my Castle to look at the work done by the Koopalings. But at 3, I was surprised by Mario, who wanted to fight again, and without any reason!"

"Without any reason?" Toddtoad asked.

"We all know he hates me as much as I hate him, but we`re not hating each other for the same reasons. So he attacked me, for no reason…"

"Wait a minute!" Toddtoad said. "Do you think it may be possible in any case that he might by pure luck have found your weapon vault?"

"I suppose. Then it would make sense… I think he talked about it. But I don`t remember much. I ran away to the tennis court. I saw Mario not running after me… I wonder what he was doing."

Bowser`s image blackened, like the other time. The cleanup minigame appeared again, and more areas had been lightened from black to grey. Erasing them, Mario saw the javelin in Yoshi`s chest.

"I KNOW!" Toddtoad yelled. "You knew the javelin was to be used around 4 PM, so you ran away instead of fighting, because if Mario ever was to find out the javelin found in Yoshi`s body was yours, then he would really kill you."

"Yes, but finally it became useless, since he found me again later… Can I finally finish off the last part of my story so that I can finally calm down my chords? I don`t have Chords of Steel…"

"Me neither, Bowser…" Toddtoad said, before telling himself: "Note to me: take Chords of Steel classes with Apolload." Then, to Bowser: "Your last testimony now."

"I ran away to the Tennis Court, the last place where he would look. I was practicing my smashes when he arrived with Peach, and surprisingly, with that alien. We all got into a huge argument, and Peach, using her authority, had us sent to this court to arrange that entire story. It`s when we passed by the Sunny Mushroom Beach that we found the corpse, and as we knew we could all be accused, we decided to stay there and watch out."

"So, tell again the first part of this."

"I ran away to the Tennis Court, the last place where he would look. I was practicing my smashes when he arrived with Peach, and surprisingly, with that alien."

"If you thought he couldn`t find you there, how could he find you that fast?"

"I suppose he went backwards… I mean, he started looking where he would have looked last."

"And you say they arrived with that al… Tatanga?"

"Yes… so, of course, I wanted to fight with him, as well as Mario, but Peach…"

"What did she do?"

"Well… I think she entered in the greatest fit of anger she ever got. She yelled at us three for ten minutes, she almost took out her gloves to punch us; she had the blood vein in the neck so red that it was redder than my eyes… I can`t believe she could get so angry."

"So what did you four do then?"

"We all got into a huge argument, and Peach, using her authority, had us sent to this court to arrange that entire story."

"So despite anger, you still agreed to follow her?"

"Why, yes! Why declare an open war only because Princess Peach was angry at us? She also had a rough day I bet. It`s maybe because of my early attack, she didn`t sleep really long…"

"Anyway... continue."

"It`s when we passed by the Sunny Mushroom Beach that we found the corpse, and as we knew we could all be accused, we decided to stay there and watch out."

"So you passed by Sunny Mushroom Beach?"

"Why, of course… we weren`t in a hurry. That thing could have been arranged early or late… but we ended on the corpse. It was Peach`s idea to stop moving when we saw the corpse, to make sure we would be officially witnesses to the murder. And we weren`t in a position to anger her any more… she still had the cross-like thing on her forehead, you know the things we got when we`re angry…"

"Okay, now everything is clear now," Toddtoad said.

"Court is adjourned for an hour!" Toadsworth said. "It`s dinner time."

In next chapter: E. Gadd seemingly had nothing to do on this, but it will be some short chapter, just for poking fun at him. I need a short chapter for a change. For 1000 words, I`ll survive.


	5. E Gadd! What a weirdo!

Chapter 5: E. Gadd! What a weirdo…

It was now 1 o`clock in the court. The ones who had already said their testimony were gone. Lucky these were only two characters… Bowser proved he had nothing to do in that, and Birdo was found guilty of many things though she has left black spots in the story. As E. Gadd stepped on the witness stand, Toadsworth looked at him.

"You look weird today, E. Gadd."

"Me? Nooooooooh… I`m just feeling weird. Glavin," E. Gadd. "I think I fell on the head during the night… so if I am weird during the trial, don`t ask."

"I suppose we cannot find you guilty of anything," Kamek said. "You`re the biggest victim in all that."

"I sure am!" Gadd said. "Uh… why exactly?"

Everyone fell on their backs: Luigi, Toadsworth, Toddtoad, while Kamek slipped off his flying broom and fell on the floor.

"Duh, weird scientist! It`s because you were stolen one of your things! And sent to jail with the others! And made a fool out of yourself!"

"Oh, right… I forgot about that."

Everyone fell again.

"You mean, you got a short-memory loss?" Toadsworth asked.

"Something like that, glavin," E. Gadd said.

"Why all these "glavin?" Toddtoad aked.

"I think I saw it in a dictionary… I think it was a Simpson-English dictionary… and I have no idea what language were the Simpson gang speaking, since they don`t exist here."

E. Gadd took out a dictionary from nowhere, and showed it.

"That`s totally useless!" Kamek yelled. "Let the testimony begin!"

"Okay, your Kamekitude. So, I was awoken at noon, by a noise in the lab. I went there and saw glass on the floor and my Anything-Gaddfinder was missing. I called the cops, and when they arrived, I told them the entire story. I suppose they weren`t taking me seriously because I had to tell the full story for about six times before they even understood what I was saying. Glavin."

"And then, at 7, I was about to explain the whole thing a seventh time when the cops got a call, apparently there was something going on the beach. So they brought me there, and I saw the dead Yoshi. And then, they brought me in jail with everyone, and then we see me here, with a head commotion and a slight bit of Tourette, as well as some nonsensical testimony."

"…this is a really weird testimony, E. Gadd."

"Glavindeed," the weirdo, um… scientist answered.

"Do you think you can repeat the first part?"

"No!"

Everyone fell on their backs. Kamek fell off his broom.

"What? Why can`t you?" Kamek yelled.

"Are you suffering short memory as well, mister Kamek?" E. Gadd asked. "I got short-memory loss, mister… what`s your name again?"

Kamek held on to the bar to make sure he wouldn`t fall again. His back would sure remember that for a long time… Toadsworth slammed the hammer on his desk.

"SO… If you are giving us that many problem, we won`t have any other choice but to ask you… to re-do your entire testimony! We got a good memory so we remember what you said earlier, and if it contradicts, we will interfere. You can tell your first part of the testimony."

"Fine, your Honor Whatsyournamealready. So I woke up at 12, when I heard some noise. I woke up to see someone broke in and had stolen my Anything-Gaddfinder. So I called the cops and they arrived at 1 PM. I told them the full story like, about six or seven times, but they never understood. I even had to use my wits to find a way to make them understand!"

"Cross-examination may begin, Toddtoad."

"Fine. Professor, I`m surprised you remembered well… how can you?"

"Oh… if my professor mind isn`t fooled, I suppose that I can perfectly remember what happened before I smashed my head. So that makes sense, I hope so, because I got nothing smarter. So, I woke up at 12, when I heard some noise. I woke up to see someone broke in and had stolen my Anything-Gaddfinder."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "Is it an item that lets you find anything that has been lost as long as you can tell it what it is?"

"Yes… oh, so it`s you who stole it!" Gadd yelled.

"No, but we know who. We won`t tell you, because you are too wacky and you`ll invent some kind of killer weapon to get your revenge…"

" OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "See, we can tell him. It`s Birdo, the weird pink dinosaur who thinks she`s a girl while actually it`s too ambiguous to know."

Toadsworth shook his head, and said: "OK, now enough with that. Let`s move on with the testimony."

"OK, your Honorness," E. Gadd said. "I called the cops and they arrived at 1 PM. I told them the full story like, about six or seven times, but they never understood."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "Usually our cops have a Ph.D. in battle techniques, a black belt in suspect interrogation, master over twenty-seven languages, they can speak thirteen at the same time and eight while sleeping. Why couldn`t they understand you?"

"Shock!" E. Gadd yelled while jumping in the air, after many seconds of silence.

"Did that guy just used an electric machine on his butt or what?" Kamek thought to himself.

"I was shocked I guess," E. Gadd completed his sentence. "Waking up to discover you`ve been robbed... how would you act?"

"I would speak nonsense gibberish and yell around while running like a crazy guy," Luigi said. "Oh, and I would call the cops after."

"See? That`s exactly what I meant," the nutty professor said. "But they arrived while I was still in my gibberish part of craziness. I tried explaining the story seven times, but each time the cops would not understand a thing. At the seventh try, I finally told them what I wanted to say."

"And so they understood you?"

"Still not," Gadd answered, making everyone fall on their backs. When they awoke, E. Gadd was still there, luckily. "I even had to use my wits to find a way to make them understand!"

"And what did you use?" Kamek asked.

"A gibberish translator."

"How can anything like that be possible?" Toadsworth asked. "Gibberish is gibberish, and another language is another language. It`s impossible to translate gibberish since it`s not a language!

"I found a way," Elvin said. "But when it came out, it was just the same message, in another gibberish."

"How can you know that?" Luigi asked.

"No idea."

This time, everyone held to something to make sure they don`t fall on their backs again.

"Can the victim continue his wacky testimony now?" Toadsworth asked.

"And then, at 7, I was about to explain the whole thing a seventh time when the cops got a call, apparently there was something going on the beach. So they brought me there, and I saw the dead Yoshi. And then, they brought me in jail with everyone, and then we see me here, with a head commotion and a slight bit of Tourette, as well as some nonsensical testimony."

"Cross-examination may continue," Toadsworth said. He was somehow losing his patience over that weird man on the stand. "Please recite the first part of this testimony."

"And then, at 7, I was about to explain the whole thing a seventh time when the cops got a call, apparently there was something going on the beach. So they brought me there, and I saw the dead Yoshi."

"They brought you with them! Why would they have done such a thing?" Toddtoad asked.

"Well, I suppose they thought I was too crazy to be believed, and they planned to make me calm down a little in jail, and then ask me questions."

"You didn`t react at all?"

"Why would I? They`re right, I`m a weird man."

"Cross-examination should continue now," Toadsworth said. "I feel like I will need a recess after this one."

"And then, they brought me in jail with everyone, and then we see me here, with a head commotion and a slight bit of Tourette, as well as some nonsensical testimony."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled again. "Tourette? What is it?"

"Glavin," Gadd answered.

"Glavin what?" Kamek yelled. "What is this supposed to mean?"

"Nothing; it`s Tourette, it`s words that don`t exist and which just make no sense."

Toadsworth could no more stand it. "That`s enough with the weirdness. We should be serious, there is an important case of murder here! Court is adjourned for a ten minute break!"

***

In the lobby, Toddtoad asked Luigi what he was thinking of E. Gadd.

"I think he got the mad scientist syndrome. He`s always in a dangerous creation or a risky discovery. But usually, he`s not as weird."

"There`s just one thing I don`t understand," Toddtoad said. "E. Gadd was weird, yes, but I am really wondering why court was adjourned for ten minutes. If we want this to be completed, we should move on, don`t you think so? Why was the court adjourned?"

Then the duo heard a loud laugh coming from the judge`s room, followed by many spasms of laughing, as well as many blows of laughing.

"That answers your question," Luigi finished.

In next chapter, it`s Mario`s turn! What will happen? Will the Hero lie… or will he be straight during all the cross-examination? A hero can`t lie. Or can he? That is one mystery that will have to be cleared! See you soon!


	6. Mario! Letsa Go!

Disclaimer: Phew... it was about time I think about adding this... I don`t own the Mario series nor the Phoenix Wright series. I only own Toddtoad, Toadswore, and some places.

Also, before anyone tells me in a review that this story contains way too much dialog, let me explain a few things. One: if you have ever played the Phoenix Wright series, you should know it`s almost entirely dialogs when the action happens in Court. In other words, it`s all talking and no acting. Two, I know the main characters are yelling very often, screaming too, but if you have played PW, then you know that`s what they do when saying "Objection", "Take that" and "Hold on": they yell, scream... And three:Now that much of the story is known, you probably have an idea on who did it. You can say it by review, but explain.

* * *

Chapter 6: Mario! Let`s-a-go!

"Let the next witness enter," Toadsworth said. He had problems keeping his smile away. E. Gadd was a bit too funny for him.

Mario stepped in the room. He definitely was feeling bad; he had dried tears on the cheeks. No matter how much a man he is, Yoshi was a great friend. Mario arrived on the stand. Everyone`s mouth was wide open. Mario, the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom was about to testify on a murder. It is possible for him to be the murderer; after all, the javelin indeed came from nowhere, and nobody knows exactly what happened.

"I did nothing wrong," Mario said. "I am a Hero, I cannot be seen doing anything evil or else my reputation will be blasted off."

"So, you think you are white?" Kamek asked.

"Yes, my skin color is pink, so I can be considered a white man," Mario replied in the greatest sincerity ever.

"But pink and white are different colors!" Kamek yelled.

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad said. "This has nothing to do with the court! Now, Mario, tell us what happened that day."

"Mamma mia! Its been a while," Mario said. "Ill try. But I would rather tell you that as the Hero of the Mushroom KIngdom, no matter what happens, you will not find any lies in my testimonies. A hero has to be brave, courageous, sure, but we also have to be trustworthy, so lying is not allowed. So I will not lie."

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "You already lied very often, Mario."

"Yes, but it was in front of characters like you or your master Bowser. In such cases, I can lie to protect my Italian butt."

"Now, please," Toadsworth said, "can you tell your testimony?"

"Fine," Mario said. "So, I woke up at 6 AM that morning, and at 7 I left for Peach`s Castle. She had asked me on a date for once. But of course, Bowser was there, probably trying to kidnap her again. So we fought, and I won. He rushed away. Since she was in her nightgown, I figured she was not ready, so I went back home. I came back at 9, and she was ready. So we left. We arrived at 10, and went in the Haunted House."

"But there we found Bowser! We fought again, and he escaped. He looked like he was searching for something. After that battle, we enjoyed the rides, but then I remembered having seen something back there, so we went back. We found the weapon vault, but since we didn`t know what to do, we went back to Peach`s castle. There we found Birdo, seeking something thanks to a weird object."

"I rushed to Bowser`s Castle, and there I saw him. We fought once again, and he escaped. I searched around the Castle for some evidence, but I almost got killed by a javelin that came out of nowhere! I knew Bowser was planning something, so I rushed to the Tennis Court, where he was. There I met with Peach and Tatanga as well. We ended up in an argument and were brought to this Court. We passed by the beach, and we found the body first."

"…" everyone said in the courtroom.

"You are quite a battler," Toddtoad said. "You must have fought Bowser at least three times in this story. Why?"

"Bowser is NOT the kind of guy to be trusted. He is always doing something evil. It is my job, as the hero of the Kingdom, to battle him every time he is up to no good. And since this day ended with a murder, I was right to battle him."

"However, his own testimony, some hours ago, has proven that, actually, he had not done much evil things. He wanted to do something evil, but he got another problem."

"Yes, I remember," Mario said. It should be noted that everyone back there can see what happens in court, so that they know what has been said.

"Shouldn`t the cross-examination begin now?" Toadsworth asked.

"First of all, I have a few things to check out," Toddtoad said. He used his magical artifact to enter in Mario`s mind. What he saw there astonished him. Everything was clear. There were no black spots, nothing was hidden. Mario had absolutely nothing to hide. A heart in which Peach`s face was drawn could be seen at the very middle, as well as a bowl of pastas on a corner. Toddtoad saw a small picture of Mario and Luigi, shaking hands, and the Bowser symbol with a big red X over it. Finally, a monkey wrench could be seen on the last remaining corner. Mario would never lie, because he has no reason to; plus, Mario`s the Hero of the kingdom. He stood voiceless for a few seconds. "… … okay, your Honor… I am ready to begin the cross-examination. Mario… can you tell again the first part of your testimony?"

"Yes, no problem. So, I woke up at 6 AM that morning, and at 7 I left for Peach`s Castle. She had asked me on a date for once. But of course, Bowser was there, probably trying to kidnap her again. So we fought, and I won. He rushed away. Since she was in her nightgown, I figured she was not ready, so I went back home. I came back at 9, and she was ready. So we left. We arrived at 10, and went in the Haunted House."

Toddtoad thought about it. "Okay, so Mario cannot lie. If he lies, it will be in front of enemies, and never in front of trustworthy people. He knows he might get in trouble if he lies too often, so he will not lie. It would seriously wreck his Hero reputation. However, he may have forgotten things. I can only press him on that." Then, talking to Mario: "Can you repeat the first sentences of the first part of the testimony?"

"Mamma mia, of course! I woke up at 6 AM that morning, and at 7 I left for Peach`s Castle. She had asked me on a date for once."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "So… you have saved her countless times, and she still hadn`t rewarded you with a date?"

"No… I guess she thought a kiss was enough."

"Fine. You can continue."

"But of course, Bowser was there, probably trying to kidnap her again. So we fought, and I won."

"Hold on! How can you be so sure that he was there to kidnap Peach?"

"Well, it`s quite simple; he is always there for that. Plus there is no way he would have learned that we were dating that day, so he could not know that I was going to the Fair with her. Plus, that morning visit was a surprise visit, so Bowser could not know at all that I was coming. I suppose he tried kidnapping her while she was sleeping. Luckily I arrived on time."

"Continue, please."

"He rushed away. Since she was in her nightgown, I figured she was not ready, so I went back home. I came back at 9, and she was ready. So we left. We arrived at 10, and went in the Haunted House."

"Wait a minute…" Toddtoad said. "Have you seen anything fishy on the way there?"

"No, we don`t… oh, wait… yes, when we entered the Fair we saw Tatanga. I have no idea what he was doing there. I thought he was in Sarasaland."

"And what happened?" Toddtoad pressed the hero.

"Not much actually. We talked for a minute or two; he looked in a hurry, as if he had done something really bad. Plus, he was always talking about escaping. As if we were in danger – or as if he was in danger. He ran away then. I saw he was holding the gun, but at first I didn`t know what it was. Thanks to Bowser`s past testimony, I now know it was a weapon."

Now that Mario`s first testimony was cleared, Toddtoad saw clearer some things. "That Mario sure is good with rhetoric, and he never lies. I saw it myself. When he noticed he was about to lie, or to forget something, he said it before anyone telling him."

"Mario?" Kamek asked.

"Yes?" the Hero asked.

"You said you will never lie, and up until now you said the truth. You haven`t lied. I suppose it will not be long until we find out something bad in your testimony. Let`s move on to the second part of your testimony please."

"Fine," Mario said. "I`ll tell the truth once again, I hate having to tell the truth in front of an old enemy as Kamek, but in Court I have no other choice. On another occasion I would have hidden the truth behind a think layer of lie. Anyway, here is the next part of the testimony. But there we found Bowser! We fought again, and he escaped. He looked like he was searching for something. After that battle, we enjoyed the rides, but then I remembered having seen something back there, so we went back. We found the weapon vault, but since we didn`t know what to do, we went back to Peach`s castle. There we found Birdo, seeking something thanks to a weird object."

"Cross-examination may continue," Toadsworth said. "Mario?"

"Yes, first sentences of my testimony. Here I go. But there we found Bowser! We fought again, and he escaped. He looked like he was searching for something."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad said. "Now that we know what he was looking for, do you have any reason to battle him?"

"I will give you a few clues. A monster turtle, searching something in a century old haunted house, wouldn`t you think there is something evil going on?"

Toddtoad stood in shock. "Yes, indeed…" he said, with a sweat drop on his forehead. "Continue, please."

"After that battle, we enjoyed the rides, but then I remembered having seen something back there, so we went back. We found the weapon vault, but since we didn`t know what to do, we went back to Peach`s castle."

"Stop!" Kamek yelled. "How could you find the weapon vault? After all, Bowser has clearly indicated that nobody could find it, it was well-hidden."

"Actually… while we were waiting in line to enter, I saw Waluigi going in the back. I had at first no idea what he was going to do there, but when we came back, I wanted to know, so I searched around. I sat on a nearby, moldy log to think about it, but the secret pass was revealed. In there, I could see the Toads jumping out of their skins because of the surrounding Boos. This was a haunted house after all, there had to have ghosts. But they couldn`t see me. I deducted it was some kind of one-way glass. I heard there were mirrors like these in some places. So, we discovered the weapon vault. I knew it was all about Bowser; every weapon in there had the Bowser seal."

"Thanks for this valuable piece of information," Toadsworth said. "If we see any Bowser seal on the javelin`s blade after the blood will have been cleaned off, we will know where it come from. Now can you continue from your arrival to the Castle?"

"Of course. There we found Birdo, seeking something thanks to a weird object."

"Wait a minute!" Toddtoad said. "It is the Anything-Gaddfinder she was holding?" he said, showing Mario the said item.

"Yes, she was holding that thing. At first I didn`t know what she wanted to do with it. Now we know, but back then she simply said she wanted to make a surprise for Yoshi. She revealed nothing to us, fearing we would spoil it."

Toddtoad couldn`t believe it. Mario hadn`t lied a single time. No body reaction, no nervous tick, nothing that would give suspicions, nothing at all. Incredible. Astounding. Mario began telling his final testimony.

"I rushed to Bowser`s Castle, and there I saw him. We fought once again, and he escaped. I searched around the Castle for some evidence, but I almost got killed by a javelin that came out of nowhere! I knew Bowser was planning something, so I rushed to the Tennis Court, where he was. There I met with Peach and Tatanga as well. We ended up in an argument and were brought to this Court. We passed by the beach, and we found the body first."

"You can begin the final cross-examination, Toddtoad," Toadsworth said.

"I rushed to Bowser`s Castle, and there I saw him. We fought once again, and he escaped. I searched around the Castle for some evidence, but I almost got killed by a javelin that came out of nowhere!"

"Hold on!" Toddtoad said. "You fought him again, but it was because of the weapon vault, is that it?"

"Yes."

"And when you almost got killed by the javelin, what time was it?"

"I wear no watch, but I think it was something around 4 o`clock. If I remember well what happened that day on the Koopalings` side, they were preparing weapons? That means Ludwig Von Koopa had a little problem with it and it passed through a window, until it nearly crashed on me."

"How would you know all that?"

"I heard shattered glass falling around as soon as the javelin landed right between my two feet, leaving a scratch on my overalls. I immediately thought it was one of Bowser`s tricks."

"Fine, continue."

"I knew Bowser was planning something, so I rushed to the Tennis Court, where he was. There I met with Peach and Tatanga as well."

"Wait!" Toddtoad said. "You saw Bowser, Peach and Tatanga there? Why would Tatanga be there? He was trying to escape, wasn`t he?"

"Um… actually," Mario began. "When we talked with him earlier that day, he mentioned he tried escaping. He never said what he was escaping from. Maybe he was just trying to escape the Fair. That makes sense since he looked relaxed when I saw him at the Tennis Court."

"Is there anything else that we should know?"

"Yes. He didn`t have the gun with him. That means either he hid it, either someone stole it from him."

"Then, you guys enter in an argument," Kamek recalls. "What happens then?"

"Well, I was yelling at Bowser for trying to kill me with a javelin, and he was yelling at Tatanga for having stolen his gun, and he was yelling at Bowser because the turtle could not remember his name, and Bowser was yelling at me for foiling everything… in the end, Peach got angry, and I have never seen her so angry my whole life. There is nothing scarier than an angry woman."

Some characters laughed a bit.

"Anyway, we know what happens then," Toddtoad said. "You four pass by the beach, because it is some kind of shortcut, and there you find the body. What did you do?"

"I went near the body and I pulled the javelin off. Peach nearly fainted when she saw all the blood on the blade. However, I had seen worse. Sadly, the blood was covering the whole blade, so it was impossible to tell if there was a Bowser seal on it. I had seen a javelin in the vault."

"WAIT…" Toadsworth yelled. "That means… we now have two semi-identical javelins! And one of them is the murder weapon! We do not know which one it is, and our team is unable of washing off the blood. This mystery is getting stranger and stranger… Thanks Mario. You can leave now."

"Thanks, your Honor."

Mario left, whistling the tune of SMB, while Toddtoad had his mouth open wide, his eyes wide open as well, and he was not moving. Luigi waved his right hand in front of his face. "Eh oh! You okay?"

Toddtoad shook his head. "I can`t believe it. Every person I have cross-examined has lied at least once. Mario has not lied at all! It is impossible! Mario is really a Hero, no doubt on that."

"May the next witness enter!" Toadsworth said.

In next chapter: Princess Daisy enters. She will say everything she has to say, but will it be enough? Has she anything to hide? Will she lie? Who knows? As the author, I know, but there is no way I would spill the beans. So, until next time!


	7. Daisy! What did you do?

Chapter 7: Daisy! What did you do?

Daisy entered the room. Luigi blushed. "Isn`t she cute? I think I love her. She`s my Peach." Toddtoad looked at him.

"Luigi, I know you like her; it`s not secret at all. Everyone knows. But she still has a part in the story."

As soon as Princess Daisy stepped in the stand, Kamek yelled "OBJECTION!"

This surprised Toadsworth, who said "Objection denied. There is no reason to yell Objection when you have nothing to base your objection on. Unless you can explain, of course."

"I can. See, it`s been ten characters that have been questioned since the beginning of this case. Therefore, we know that the javelin found in Yoshi`s chest came from Bowser`s Castle, and we also know that it almost killed Mario earlier that day. We also discovered many plot twists that disturbed everything we thought at first; the weapon vault, the second javelin, the stolen eggs, the gun, the Koopalings` tests, the robbery… I am pretty sure we know enough things to solve the mystery."

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad yelled, lifting an accusing finger. "We are not done yet. After all, we still ignore who threw that javelin in the first place. Now that we know there were two javelins, which mean two people can be accused. Also, the record proves that Waluigi looked terrified when he saw the javelin. However, this is too unclear for now; it is possible that Waluigi is the one who did it; but his reaction when seeing the javelin, which is to hide and yell "It`s not me, I swear! I have never seen that javelin before! Um, I mean… what happened here? Did I miss something really terrible while I was at the Fair?", clearly shows he has already seen that javelin; even worse, his scare indicates that he might have thrown it. However, since he was scared, it is possible that it was just an accident… also…"

Daisy coughed loudly. "So, am I here to hear your predictions or am I here to testify?"

"A thousand sorry, Princess," Toadsworth said. "You see, everything that has been revealed until now has severely transformed the first looks of this case. It was about time we begin thinking about all this as a whole. Maybe you have more important things to add from your testimony…"

"I have some things to add, yes. I am in a hurry; people in Sarasaland are getting impatient. I have to go back there. I`m the leader of that portion of the Mushroom World, I have to go back."

"Yes, we will take this into consideration for your testimony. We will begin now. Please tell your testimony," Toadsworth said.

"At 7 AM, I was practicing with Birdo at the Tennis Court. I told her about the royal visit I was giving to Princess Peach. After we changed, I went to Peach`s Castle and met up with Peach. We talked about kingdom affairs, recent attacks and some more personal subjects. I learned about Bowser`s attack, and I wanted to help Mario, so I went to see him at his own house. But there I could only find Luigi."

"Then I noticed I had forgotten my flower shirt at the Tennis Court! But there I couldn`t find it; instead I found something that told me it was someone else who took it. I rushed back to Mario`s house, but on my way there I passed by the beach, and I saw Yoshi, laying unconscious. I woke him up and told me everything; so I went back to the Tennis Court and picked up the clue."

"I finally found my enemy, in the Fair, around the Haunted Mansion, and while battling I won a prize. A Superthrower, that`s how it was called. My enemy escaped, but I went back to see Yoshi at the Beach. I left for the Shop, and there I learned my enemy had followed Birdo to wherever she was going. I knew he would go to Bowser`s Castle sooner or later, so I decided to go wait for him there. Finally he arrived and we fought, until I threw him a final thing. We then left to arrange all this is Court, and we passed by the Beach, and there we saw everyone around the body."

"Is that all?" Prosecutor Kamek asked.

"I guess so. I didn`t reveal yet who that person I`ve been chasing around all day was because it has been revealed earlier, in Birdo`s testimony."

"You will tell us, or else we will accuse you of hiding things!"

Princess Daisy sighed. " Oh, I am pretty sure the cross-examination will reveal it."

Toddtoad thought about it. "So, she might be the javelin-thrower. She clearly indicated she had thrown a weapon at someone at the end. That means she is a prime suspect. But the Beach is somewhat far from Bowser`s Castle, so she would have needed superhuman force to do it. I guess I will have to press her on what has not been cleared yet."

Then, turning to Toadsworth: "I am ready to do my job."

"Fine. Can the witness please tell the first part of her testimony?"

"Okay, your Honor. At 7 AM, I was practicing with Birdo at the Tennis Court. I told her about the royal visit I was giving to Princess Peach. After we changed, I went to Peach`s Castle and met up with Peach. We talked about kingdom affairs, recent attacks and some more personal subjects. I learned about Bowser`s attack, and I wanted to help Mario, so I went to see him at his own house. But there I could only find Luigi."

"Cross-examination may begin," Toadsworth said.

"Princess Daisy, before we begin this cross-examination, I would like to clarify some things," Toddtoad said. "At one point you mentioned visiting Luigi. He is here with me, this means he can tell if it was true or not. Also, the characters that passed before you left the Court; however they have left only few mysteries behind. This means that you and the next people who will step on the stand will put the remaining pieces to this puzzle. Fine, you can now tell the first sentences of your testimony."

"At 7 AM, I was practicing with Birdo at the Tennis Court. I told her about the royal visit I was giving to Princess Peach."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled. "Why were you there this early? After all, according to reports, the meeting was only at 9 that morning."

"Well… I had to take the plane during the night. In Sarasaland, something blocked the airport. Haven`t you read the Daily Koopa recently?"

A smile appeared on Toddtoad`s face. It was not the kind of smile which shows happiness but rather embarrassment. "No, I didn`t… I had a very busy day as well." ("Not going to tell her I have no need of buying journals, the court here is a newsstand by itself.")

"Usually I should have left one day earlier, somewhere around 6 PM, to arrive here in time to check in a hotel and have a good night of sleeping. However, the airport was blocked by some kind of spaceship. We don`t know what happened exactly. But I arrived here somewhere around 5 AM. I had nothing else to do so I went to the Tennis Court. There I found Birdo, luckily."

"Did you tell her about the royal meeting?"

"Well, I think I slid a few words about it in our discussion, but not much."

"Fine, you can continue."

"After we changed, I went to Peach`s Castle and met up with Peach. We talked about kingdom affairs, recent attacks and some more personal subjects."

"Hold on! What were you talking about, exactly?"

"This cannot be known! It is princess talking! It is secret-defence!"

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "In Court, nothing is secret, everything has to be revealed. We have to know, it might help us understanding."

Princess Daisy sighed. "Fine. On kingdom affairs, it was mostly politics, economy, and that kind of thing. It was the serious part of this meeting. Then, we talked about recent attacks. Peach had ten adventures to tell me about, and claiming that Mario is a true hero, while I had almost nothing to say. The purple-skinned alien has done nothing bad in years. Finally, on personal affairs, I learned about Peach`s date with Mario, and that`s when I learned about the Fair. I also heard about Bowser`s most recent attack, which was that very morning while I was training at the Tennis Court, and as such I decided to help Mario by going to his house when the meeting ended."

"Just wondering… personal affairs, it`s your own personal lives, some kind of friendly chat, is that so?" Toadsworth asked.

"Yes, that`s it. There`s nothing interesting in Court about this. It`s things like "I bought a new dress" and girly chat."

"Okay, go on."

"I learned about Bowser`s attack, and I wanted to help Mario, so I went to see him at his own house. But there I could only find Luigi."

"Luigi, is that true?" Toadsworth asked.

"Yes. She told me about the meeting, but Mario wasn`t there. He was gone to the Fair. H and Peach were supposed to meet in front of the fair`s main gate."

"Okay, I guess we can move on to the next part," Toddtoad suggested. "Princess Daisy, tell again part two of your whole testimony."

"Then I noticed I had forgotten my flower shirt at the Tennis Court! But there I couldn`t find it; instead I found something that told me it was someone else who took it. I rushed back to Mario`s house, but on my way there I passed by the beach, and I saw Yoshi, laying unconscious. I woke him up and told me everything; so I went back to the Tennis Court and picked up the clue."

"Cross-examination may continue."

"Princess Daisy?" Kamek asked.

"OK. I noticed I had forgotten my flower shirt at the Tennis Court."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled. "For what we heard, this shirt has some importance to you. Would you like to have it back?" he asked, holding the shirt up in the air.

"Wait… that`s mine!" Princess Daisy said.

"Yes, we picked it up on one of the characters we found on the beach. It was indeed found in the girls` changing room by the one who picked it up. This can be useful later, so we will keep it in our evidence. You can continue."

"But there I couldn`t find it; instead I found something that told me it was someone else who took it."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad screamed. "So, you found a clue. Was it in the girls` changing room?"

"Actually, no. I found it in the boys` changing room. Since I had seen my shirt nowhere in the girls` changing room, I looked in the boys` changing room, just in case a funny guy would have switched the gender signs."

"Wait… how did you infiltrate the boys` changing rooms?"

"Oh, people were extremely rare in the Tennis Court. Usually there`s more people than that. It must have been because of the Fair. But do you have the clue I found?"

Toddtoad looked in the evidence pocket. "If you found it in the changing rooms, it must be a piece of clothing."

"Take that!" He yelled, holding a piece of clothing high enough that everyone sees it. It was some male underwear, purple-colored, with garlic drawings all over it. "Seeing the drawings on it, I guess it`s Wario`s. That means the person you have been chasing after all day long… is WARIO!"

Daisy stood in shock for a second. Her crown fell over her eyes. She replaced it. "You guessed right. The one I had been chasing after all day long was that pesky garlic eater. But he had stolen the flower shirt!"

"… Do you have any idea why he would have done such a thing?" Kamek asked.

"No… you will have to ask him."

"Fine, you can continue."

"I rushed back to Mario`s house, but on my way there I passed by the beach, and I saw Yoshi, laying unconscious."

"Why did you rush to Mario`s house exactly?"

"Well, since he wasn`t there the first time, I hoped he would be there. And also, I had a favor to ask him; find Wario."

"And when you stepped on the Beach, you found Yoshi unconscious. Do you have any idea why he was unconscious?"

"Well, no. I suppose he had been knocked unconscious by something, but I dunno what. Anyway Mario was nowhere to be seen once more," she said, her left eye blinking twice.

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad yelled. "When you lie, your left eye blinks twice. You do not control this. That means there is a lie somewhere in what you just said."

Toddtoad entered the Mind Cleanup minigame and saw that a few parts were clear (including a heart with a drawing of Luigi in it). However one part was hidden below a shade of orange.

"This is a difficult thing," Toddtoad said. "To erase colors, I have first to mix up the three primary colors to get something near the hiding color. Man, this artifact is complicated to use!"

Using some mind item, he mixed up some red and yellow until he obtained the exact shade of orange used to hide the secretd. Then he erased it, and seeing it worked, he used it on the hidden parts; they disappeared, revealing a drawing of Mario`s house.

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad yelled again, back in Court. "You haven`t seen Yoshi at the Beach; actually, he was laying unconscious somewhere around Mario`s house!"

Princess Daisy stood in shock once more. Toddtoad had found out.

"You should not have hidden this you know… it is important to know where you found Yoshi. Do you have any idea why he was unconscious?"

"I had bought a Yoshi translator some weeks ago in Sarasaland. He told me in Yoshi language that it was Wario who knocked him out. I had now two reasons to chase that fatso."

"Okay, I think we know enough now. You can continue your testimony," Toadsworth said.

"I woke him up and told me everything; so I went back to the Tennis Court and picked up the clue."

"That means you had not picked it up yet, is that so?" Kamek deducted.

"Yes, I wanted at first to stop him, but then I came up with a nasty plan; he had something I wanted and I had something he wanted, so I would force him to exchange. A girl has to fight once in a while, and if he refused to give me my shirt back, I swear I would have hung up his underwear where the Mushroom Kingdom flag usually flies."

"Well, that clears up the second part of your whole testimony. I think we can pass on to the next part. Can you tell it again, please?"

"I finally found my enemy, in the Fair, around the Haunted Mansion, and while battling I won a prize. A Superthrower, that`s how it was called. My enemy escaped, but I went back to see Yoshi at the Beach. I left for the Shop, and there I learned my enemy had followed Birdo to wherever she was going. I knew he would go to Bowser`s Castle sooner or later, so I decided to go wait for him there. Finally he arrived and we fought, until I threw him a final thing. We then left to arrange all this is Court, and we passed by the Beach, and there we saw everyone around the body."

"Cross-examination may begin. Daisy, would you please repeat the first sentences?"

"Of course, your Honor. So, I finally found my enemy, in the Fair, around the Haunted Mansion, and while battling I won a prize. A Superthrower, that`s how it was called."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled. "What is the Superthrower for?"

"Oh, it is a simple thing you put around your arm, and it gives superhuman force to this one arm. If we throw something with it, we will throw it very far."

Toddtoad looked in his evidence pocket, and took out the Superthrower. "Is that it?"

Daisy looked at the item. "…yes."

"Can you tell us what you did with it?"

"That`s coming. Let me continue. My enemy escaped, but I went back to see Yoshi at the Beach. I left for the Shop, and there I learned my enemy had followed Birdo to wherever she was going."

"Hold on!" the attorney screamed. "Why exactly did you go to see Yoshi?"

"I wanted to tell him I could not stop Wario. However, I could not, because my worst enemy was there."

"Who?" Toadsworth asked.

"The alien, Tatanga! He was on the Beach, resting. I thought he was up to no good, so I threatened him; he told me he was now out of evil things, and at first I didn`t believe him. Then he told me why he was in the Mushroom Kingdom, and I understood his presence. I can`t really tell you exactly, but he will explain better than me. Anyway, my first reflex was to leave for the shop, to talk with the shopkeeper."

"What did you two talk about?"

"At first, I was very angry at him, but then he told me that Wario was running after Birdo. Yes, the discussion began with a serious talking about Tatanga, and then it spun to something, and finally it ended with Wario and Birdo chasing eggs. After some time I heard Wario had something to do at Bowser`s Castle, so I rushed there."

"Continue with your testimony."

"I knew he would go to Bowser`s Castle sooner or later, so I decided to go wait for him there. Finally he arrived and we fought, until I threw him a final thing."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled again, apparently not fed up of always yelling the same thing. "So, you two fought. What did you do?"

"He used his foul breath on me, and he even tried intoxicating me with his fart bomb. I had only rocks around, that means I had to put on the Superthrower to throw him rocks."

"Then you put on the Superthrower. What happens then?"

"Well, I battle Wario around Bowser`s Castle until I finally find something powerful enough to knock Wario out; a javelin! I threw it toward him while he was jumping toward me, but I used my arm with the Superthrower. The javelin flew away and I lost sight of it. I grabbed Wario with my Superthrowing arm and I smashed him to the Castle`s wall. Seeing himself defeated, he tried asking some things, but then I decided all this would be arranged in Court, so we left. I kept the Superthrower on my right arm to slap him well if he ever tries escaping."

"HOLD ON!" Kamek yelled, surprising everyone in the room. "That means we found the guilty character that killed Yoshi! There is only one possible person, and it is YOU, Princess Daisy!"

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad screamed. "Don`t you remember, Kamek?!"

"What?" The Magikoopa asked.

"Earlier, more precisely during Mario`s testimony, it had been revealed that there might be two javelins in this story. This of course means that there is another possibility. Also, it should be noted that Yoshi was found with the javelin right into his heart. Such a random throw could not have been that clear."

"Actually, it is," Kamek answered. "See, the Superthrower can let any item get thrown at a huge speed, and a long item such as a javelin makes a snakelike noise when flying in the air at such speed. Yoshi might have heard it, spun to see what it was, and got it right through his hear, by pure luck."

Toddtoad`s eyes went wide-eyed. He stood silent for some seconds. "No, it can`t be. Don`t you remember what was said when the characters arrived on the beach? Waluigi recognized the javelin and hid out of terror. It might be him! But there is no way of knowing which javelin has hit Yoshi; the blade is totally covered with blood."

"…can I leave now?" Princess Daisy asked.

Toadsworth sighed. "Sadly, I fear you are now one of the only two remaining suspects on this case. This means we cannot let you go."

"But… Sarasaland`s inhabitants will e worried about me! I have to go! If it`s indeed the javelin I threw that struck Yoshi, then I will take the consequences. Just let me go, at least for now. I beg you…"

Toadsworth looked at Princess Daisy. "Oh well, I guess it is impossible to refuse something to a princess. We will let you go, however it is possible to ask you to come back."

"I understand fully, your Honor. Goodbye, and I hope I will not be the one who did it."

"Court is adjourned for an hour!" Toadsworth said. He had to let all this information pass.

***

In the lobby, Toddtoad was talking with Luigi.

"This marathon of cross-examination has clearly run me out of energy. An hour of break won`t be too much. I bet even Kamek is tired."

"Um… Toddtoad? You know, when you were in Princess Daisy`s mind to look for clues… have you found anything about me?"

"You want to know, don`t you? Well, yes, there was a heart shape with your face on it."

An hour later, the court continued. It was Princess Peach`s turn.

In next chapter: Peach! Yes, that`s it! We all know she has many things to say. But is she going to hide things? After all, she has been with Mario for most of the day. Most of the info has been revealed. If you guys have an idea on who REALLY did it (it can be any character after all), say it on reviews and give an explanation. Maybe you`ll be right… but I can say that mostly everyone will be wrong.


	8. Peach! Dont hide!

Chapter 8: Princess Peach! Don`t hide!

When Princess Peach, the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom entered the room, many Toads whispered to each other. She arrived on the stand. Now everyone was looking at her, even Kamek. She had red eyes, not because of anger but because of crying. Yoshi was a good friend to her as well.

"Princess Peach?" Toadsworth asked. "Are you OK? As your keeper I must tell you that if you do not feel well you should leave for your Castle."

Peach sniffed, her face looking at the floor. "No... I will be OK. Besides, I want to testify. I don`t know if I have anything to add, but I will try."

"You don`t look well," Toadsworth repeated.

"Toadsworth; I know you are the one leading this Court, but I also know that outside of it, I am the leader over this Kingdom and you. So I can decide what I will do. And I will testify, might you like it or not."

"…fine, Princess," Toadsworth said. "I will feel weird to be called "your Honor" by you, but I will have to live with this not too long enough. Fine, can you recall the whole day where the murder occurred?"

"I don`t know if I can remember everything, but I will try. At 8 AM, I was slightly sleeping when I heard a loud noise. It was Bowser, coming to kidnap me again. But Mario arrived right on time and defeated the monster. He left and I prepared myself to welcome Princess Daisy to the Castle. She arrived and we discussed of important and useless things, as she told you."

"Then I left for the Beach, and on the way I found Yoshi crying. I asked him why he was crying, but I could not understand him. I just brought him back to the Beach. I then left to the Fair, where Mario was waiting for me. We met Tatanga there; I didn`t know him at first. He looked nice despite his past. Mario and I looked in the Haunted Mansion, but there we found Bowser again."

"Mario fought and won again. So we enjoyed the rides for an hour. But then, Mario remembered something and we headed back to the Haunted Mansion. We found the vault, so we headed back to my castle. There we met Birdo, and Mario left to Bowser`s Castle. I went in my room and slept up to 3 PM. I went to see Mario at his house, but Luigi told me that he wasn`t there."

"Luigi also told me that Daisy was still in town. So I went to search her. I looked at the Tennis Court. There I saw Mario, Bowser and Tatanga into a huge argument. That`s where I entered in my feared anger and made them very scared. I forced them to follow me to this court to arrange this whole story. Passing by the Beach, we found Yoshi`s dead body, laying on its back, with the… javelin… *sob* in the heart!"

Peach began crying. This was too much pressure. She could handle pressure, after all she was the leader of a mighty piece of land, but finding a dead body is indeed a traumatizing experience, not to use big words for fun.

"You know, Princess… if you want some rest, we can…" Toadsworth began.

"I`m not a baby anymore, Toadsworth. I`m somewhere between 30 and 40, and I can do it. I can stand here and answer questions. I will do it. I just have a fragile heart, ok?"

"OK, princess… Lawyer, Prosecutor, anything to add?"

"If I can…" Kamek began. "I know now why Bowser wants you. You are gorgeous… at least to the eye of an old Magikoopa."

"I can`t say it`s false. Princess Peach is gorgeous, but it is not a beauty contest here, sadly. We will ask you to repeat the first part of your testimony, please," Toddtoad asked.

"Okay. At 8 AM, I was slightly sleeping when I heard a loud noise. It was Bowser, coming to kidnap me again. But Mario arrived right on time and defeated the monster. He left and I prepared myself to welcome Princess Daisy to the Castle. She arrived and we discussed of important and useless things, as she told you."

"I am ready for cross-examination, your Honor."

"Fine. Remember Princess, if you feel very bad after some time, you can lea…"

"STOP IT TOADSWORTH!" the Princess yelled. "Don`t make me mad!"

"…okay. Repeat the first sentences please."

"At 8 AM, I was slightly sleeping when I heard a loud noise. It was Bowser, coming to kidnap me again. But Mario arrived right on time and defeated the monster."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "We all know Bowser kidnaps you frequently, and Mario is always there soon or later to save you. How would have this time been different?"

"Well, he arrived without me even yelling. I had forgotten about our date at first. Then I remembered as he was about to kick Bowser hard enough to send him crashing into his own castle. He ran away however. That Bowser is just a rude brute!"

"OBJECTION!" Kamek yelled. "You are wrong, Princess; it`s appearances talking. Actually, even though Bowser is an ill-mannered, evil, dangerous and not too bright turtle, he has a soft side. After all, I have been raising him as much as Toadsworth has raised you, and I know every deepest secret he hides. If I reveal any however I will suffer, so let`s move on, please."

"He left and I prepared myself to welcome Princess Daisy to the Castle. She arrived and we discussed of important and useless things, as she told you."

"Yes, she told us just ten minutes ago," Toddtoad said. "She also told us about what you two had been talking about. It`s all taped in a video. That way we avoid mistakes or missing important things."

Toddtoad used his item to look into Princess Peach`s mind. Almost nothing was hidden. Only one spot was hidden under a heavy layer of pink color. Everything else was crystal clear: a heart with Mario`s face on it, the Castle, Toadsworth who raised her, the whole population of the Kingdom… there was only one thing left… and it was well-hidden.

"Okay, Peach, can you please move on to part two of your testimony?"

"Then I left for the Beach, and on the way I found Yoshi crying. I asked him why he was crying, but I could not understand him. I just brought him back to the Beach. I then left to the Fair, where Mario was waiting for me. We met Tatanga there; I didn`t know him at first. He looked nice despite his past. Mario and I looked in the Haunted Mansion, but there we found Bowser again."

"Cross-examination can continue," Toadsworth said. "Please, Princess, repeat the first part of this testimony."

"I left for the Beach, and on the way I found Yoshi crying."

"Hold on!" Toddtoad yelled. "You left for the Beach… why?"

"It`s because the Beach is a shortcut, as usual. I was trying to leave early to arrive before Mario."

"Okay, you can continue."

"I asked him why he was crying, but I could not understand him. I just brought him back to the Beach."

"So Yoshi was actually on the way between your Castle and the Beach, is that so?"

"Yes, that`s true. I thought the best was to bring him back home, since he didn`t seem to feel okay."

"And by home, you mean the Beach. Do you mean the Beach is sort of Yoshi`s house?"

"Yes."

"And there, was anything strange brought to your attention?"

"Well, yes. I saw Birdo`s beach things left there without anyone to look over them, so I suggested Yoshi to sleep on Birdo`s towel so that it doesn`t get stolen."

"Okay, move on."

"I then left to the Fair, where Mario was waiting for me. We met Tatanga there; I didn`t know him at first. He looked nice despite his past."

"Wait a minute!" Toddtoad said. "At first, you didn`t know he was a past enemy of Mario?"

"He told us everything. How bad he felt from having been hired by Wario so that the plumber could steal Mario`s Castle…"

"Was Tatanga holding any weapon when you two met him?"

"You mean… the weapon mentioned in most testimonies? Yes, he was holding it. What is it called already? A gun?"

"Yes, it is a gun. Didn`t you find it suspect that an alien, past enemy of Mario, was holding a weapon?"

"At first, yes. Mario interrogated him on that. And it turned out he wanted to "escape". Sadly, he was in a hurry, so he could not tell us everything. I guess he succeeded, since we saw him later that day."

"Okay, continue."

"Mario and I looked in the Haunted Mansion, but there we found Bowser again."

"Did you wanted Mario to kick Bowser`s butt?"

"I never asked him; after all, maybe for once Bowser wasn`t doing anything bad…"

"But when I pressed Mario, he clearly said that "Bowser is always doing something evil!"" Toddtoad yelled.

"Wait, he`s not that evil after all! When he kidnaps me, he never harms me – or at least, if he uses any weapon or trap on me to bring Mario, he`ll save me before the real death," the Princess answered. Toddtoad decided to look in her mind. The pink portion had whitened a little, but it was still too solid to be erased.

"You can now move on to the next part of your testimony, Princess."

"Fine, your Honor. Mario fought and won again. So we enjoyed the rides for an hour. But then, Mario remembered something and we headed back to the Haunted Mansion. We found the vault, so we headed back to my castle. There we met Birdo, and Mario left to Bowser`s Castle. I went in my room and slept up to 3 PM. I went to see Mario at his house, but Luigi told me that he wasn`t there."

"Cross-examination may begin," Toadsworth said. "Unless Princess Peach wants to leave the Court to rest."

"TOADSWORTH!" the Princess yelled.

"Sorry, Princess. I guess I`m a bit overprotective…"

"Mario fought and won again. So we enjoyed the rides for an hour. But then, Mario remembered something and we headed back to the Haunted Mansion."

"Hold on," Toddtoad said. "By "remembering something", do you mean some pars of your dialog with Tatanga?"

"Yes… mostly the part where he said he had found the gun in the Haunted Mansion."

"This completes Mario`s testimony, he was saying the exact same thing. You can continue," Kamek said.

"We found the vault, so we headed back to my castle. There we met Birdo, and Mario left to Bowser`s Castle."

"And Birdo told you nada about the item she was holding."

"Nothing at all, she just said she wanted to give a surprise to Yoshi and she couldn`t tell us or else we would spoil it. After Mario left, I went in my bedroom and slept for an hour."

"Continue," Toadsworth said.

"I went in my room and slept up to 3 PM. I went to see Mario at his house, but Luigi told me that he wasn`t there."

"Luigi, is that true?"

"Yes, Kamek," Luigi answered. "Mario was not home most of the day. I think I have seen him at best two times. But I expected it; a date at the Fair usually lasts a full day."

"But, Princess..." Kamek began. "You do not seem to hold a constant grudge on Bowser why this?"

"I already said it," the blonde answered. "He is really evil, but he has a soft spot I guess. I heard of many bad guys who might try anything to harm their prey. Bowser never harmed me, and was treating me like a queen."

Toddtpad went in Peach`s mind again, hoping the color would have faded slightly, and yes, it could now be erased. But since Toddtoad could only erase black, blue, red or yellow, he had to try something. He had to lighten the red so that his Mind Eraser would erase pink. Let`s see… He used the red eraser on a white spot, and this created pink. He tried erasing it with the usual eraser, and it worked. So he erased the pink spots. The picture hidden beneath was very small, but Toddtoad could see what it was. A heart picture with Bowser`s symbol on it. Back in Court, the lawyer asked:

"Tell me, Princess… do you have any good thoughts about Bowser?"

"Why? No! he`s been kidnapping me for years!"

"But you said twice here that Bowser isn`t as bad as he seems. I even think that you… might LIKE HIM!"

Princess Peach fell the face on the bar in front of her, her crown rolled off her head.

"How did you discover that?"

"I spied in your mind, and I erased the pink. You seem to like Bowser, at least a little. It`s strange, how would a kidnapped person like its kidnapper? Are you suffering the Stockholm syndrome?"

"No, it`s… more complicated than that. You see, Bowser is a bad guy, but he also has helped us on countless occasions. Our love can`t work because of appearances. But he is a King and I am a Princess, which means we would be able to marry without having any legal problems. But once again, he remains a monster, and it is impossible to achieve such task. I`m not saying that I love him, but I like him a little."

"This closes up many questions I had," Toddtoad ended. "We can move on to part three of your testimony."

"Luigi also told me that Daisy was still in town. So I went to search her. I looked at the Tennis Court. There I saw Mario, Bowser and Tatanga into a huge argument. That`s where I entered in my feared anger and made them very scared. I forced them to follow me to this court to arrange this whole story. Passing by the Beach, we found Yoshi`s dead body, laying on its back, with the… javelin… *sob* in the heart!"

"Cross-examination may continue, for the final time," Toadsworth said.

"Luigi also told me that Daisy was still in town. So I went to search her."

"Hold on," Toddtoad said. "So, this means you had to talk to Princess Daisy. Why exactly?"

"First of all, it was only for personal talking. I wanted to tell her how my date had been."

"Okay, continue."

"I looked at the Tennis Court. There I saw Mario, Bowser and Tatanga into a huge argument. That`s where I entered in my feared anger and made them very scared."

"HOLD ON!" Toddtoad yelled. "So you entered in anger; Bowser told us about it, and Mario as well. I don`t know why you entered in such an anger. Can you explain?"

"See, when something bugs me too much, I can either cry… either get angry like nobody else. Usually the first case happens, but when I have a bad day I usually get angered." Peach began sobbing.

"You know, Princess, you can still leave if this part is too difficult for y…"

"THAT`S ENOUGH!" Princess Peach yelled to Toadsworth. "WILL YOU SHUT IT UP FOR ONCE? I`M NOT A FREAKING BABY ANYMORE! HAVE YOU FINALLY UNDERSTOOD OR WILL I HAVE TO SHOUT IT RIGHT IN YOUR DEAF EARS, TOADSWORTH?" Her face had turned red, and all over her forehead were the symbols used in mangas to show one is very angry. This shouted out sentence sent everyone on their backs.

"Ouch… I think I`m deaf now," Kamek announced. "Princess, why such anger?"

"Toadsworth was really getting on my nerves. See, that`s exactly the kind of anger I entered in when I saw Mario, Bowser and Tatanga in an argument. It was even worse than that. I scared them out of their skins."

"O…kay… you can… continue…" Toddtoad said, breathless.

"I forced them to follow me to this court to arrange this whole story. Passing by the Beach, we found Yoshi`s dead body, laying on its back, with the… javelin… *sob* in the heart!"

"I have nothing else to ask," Toddtoad said. He was still surprised by the lous monolog Princess Peach had said some seconds ago.

"Me neither," Kamek said. "Why do I have the strange feeling that this whole testimony was just a recap?"

"Well, Princess we do not need your help anymore. Now you can do whatever you want, but I really suggest you leave to rest."

Peach finally listened to Toadsworth. She left to her Castle, and went to sleep. She really needed to recover, as she woke up the next day.

But the work in Court was not finished either. Kamek approached the judge and said:

"There is something that has been bugging me since the beginning – actually, since Birdo`s testimony. You know this shopkeeper…"

"Toadswore?"

"Yes, him… he has been mentioned very often and I am sure he has a part of responsibility in this story. I suggest we ask him in Court and he says everything he has done that day. I am sure we can get some vital information off him."

"So do I. Shroomlock? Can you arrest Toadswore and bring him here? We have to ask him about the murder…"

In next chapter: My OC Toadswore finally shows up! He hides many dark secrets, and will keep them hidden. He will lie very often, and will make sure to never tell the truth. However, maybe Todtoad and Kamek will perceive the lies and reveal the truth, might the nasty shopkeeper like it or not. Will he just cause more confusion? That`s to read!


	9. Toadswore! The Lie Incarnate!

I do not own the characters. I only own Toddtoad, Toadswore, and, uh... well that`s it.

Chapter 9: Toadswore, or the Lie Incarnate

(Thanks to my fellow reviewers for telling me they actually say "hold it!" in the games! I had forgotten.)

When Toadswore entered the room, everyone stood silent. He wore cool sunglasses, but below them was a frigid look. His mushroom hat was white with black dots, something unusual but which gave him a dark look. He was wearing a black Toad-shirt with black shorts, and red shoes. He looked scary of untrustworthy.

When he arrived on the stand, he immediately said: "I have nothing to do on this case. See ya."

And he left on a slow walk.

"Hold him!" Toadsworth yelled to the Toad Police. The police officers immediately stopped him and brought him back on the witness stand.

"Sorry, Toadswore, but many people who testified before you have clearly said they had interacted with you during the day Yoshi died… and we came up with the thought that you might clear up some black spots in the story."

"Well, you are wrong; I haven`t left my shop all day long. Some people bought stuff; some others came to get their orders, but nothing else."

Toddtoad thought about it. "The one we have in front swears he didn`t do anything bad; however I have the conviction that he has an important part in the whole case. I`m sure there are secrets he hides which might teach us a few things we don`t know yet."

Then, turning to Toadwore: "So you say you haven`t left your shop the whole day?"

"Not only that, but the surveillance cameras will prove it."

"But you can however detail us the many interactions you had with characters."

"Do you really want it? I am sure it will not reveal anything new."

"We think actually that it will help us understand a few things," Kamek replied.

Toddtoad used his magical artifact to get in Toadswore`s mind. Everything was pitch-black. He tried using the eraser, but the black could not be erased at all. "Wow… he keeps his secrets deep within and he knows how to lock them up behind a ton of layers. I will never be able to erase all this black – anyway my Mind Eraser will run out if I try. I already used half of it. I`ll have to be prudent with the next people. I`ll do without the mind trick then… I hate that Mind Eraser; it recharges only with sleep."

"Okay, your Honor, we are ready to hear the witness` testimony."

"Fine. Toadswore, can you resume the murder day`s happenings?"

"I`ll try. At 9 AM, Bowser burst in the shop and asked about the delivery he had ordered. I handed him and he signed the papers. At 10, Birdo arrived in the shop, asking for sun cream. I offered her a good deal, which she accepted, and she left with the cream for free. But at 3 PM, she came back, telling me to forget about the deal, and she paid her sun cream. At 4 PM, though, Wario was eating in the side-restaurant when Birdo arrived."

"Birdo asked for rocket shoes, and she paid them, but Wario followed her after she left. Daisy came in around 5 PM, asking for Wario. I told her she missed it by an hour and that he left. I spent the rest of the day reading comic books sold in the shop and the Daily Shroom, while waiting for clients to arrive. It was calm all day long, because everyone was at the Fair, having fun, while I was losing my time waiting for customers."

"That is quite a short testimony," Toadsworth said. "Are you sure you haven`t forgotten a thing?"

"No, I don`t think so. Can the cross-examination begin now? I might get my stuff stolen at the shop."

It was the first time anyone wants to be cross-examined. Toadsworth simply couldn`t believe it. Was Toadswore simply overconfident or was he just stupid? "…fine, cross-examination may begin."

"At 9 AM, Bowser burst in the shop and asked about the delivery he had ordered. I handed him and he signed the papers. At 10, Birdo arrived in the shop, asking for sun cream. I offered her a good deal, which she accepted, and she left with the cream for free. But at 3 PM, she came back, telling me to forget about the deal, and she paid her sun cream. At 4 PM, though, Wario was eating in the side-restaurant when Birdo arrived."

"Tell again the first part of your testimony, please," Toddtoad said.

"At 9 AM, Bowser burst in the shop and asked about the delivery he had ordered. I handed him and he signed the papers."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad shouted. "So, he had ordered something, hadn`t he?"

"Yes, my shop offers a delivery system where one can ask about what he or she wants and we try finding it if we don`t have it. I sent a Koopa to him, and it told Bowser that his package was arrived."

"What was the item Bowser had ordered? Was it a weapon?"

"I think so. But if he passed before me, you should know it!"

"We know – it is a gun. I`m sure you knew already. Anyway, all this was cleared. Continue with your testimony, please."

"At 10, Birdo arrived in the shop, asking for sun cream. I offered her a good deal, which she accepted, and she left with the cream for free."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "What was that deal you are talking about? Usually shops don`t give away their stuff, they reduce the price by a certain percentage…"

"I asked her for a service, in exchange of which everything she would buy in my shop would be for free."

"Which kind of service?"

"Hey, this can`t be asked in Court! It`s personal!"

"Fine… we won`t ask," Kamek said, shocking everyone in Court. "However, we will find out what exactly was that service in studying Birdo`s part testimony. See, after some point she had confessed she was searching Yoshi`s eggs. She has spent a good part of her day finding them, even going up to steal an item finder from a mad scientist to find them. Later she tried getting them. Why all this after you suggested this deal?"

Toddtoad was surprised by Kamek`s deductive logic. "That`s crystal clear; she has been seeking the eggs all day long… because it was the deal! If Birdo was to bring Toadswore Yoshi eggs, he would let her buy or borrow anything for free! Am I right, Toadswore?" the lawyer said, lifting an accusing finger.

Toadswore stood in chock; his glassed fell off, revealing his small Toad eyes and his jaw comically fell and hit the floor. "You understood this thanks to deductive logic. Good job. However, there is no way I would tell you why I wanted them. I`m sure someone else will spill the beans. I`m not the last one, am I?"

Toddtoad now understood better what Birdo had been trying to do. But the cross-examination wasn`t finished yet…

"Continue your testimony, please," Toadsworth said.

"Hold it!" Kamek yelled. "Before anything else, I would like to clear up something else. If you remember well, Toddtoad, Birdo had asked about Toadswore and we had found some information about him. I recall: "Toadswore has been a poacher in his youth, selling Goombas to pet shops and such things." If he wanted the eggs, it`s because he knows something about them… that most people don't know!"

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad yelled. "Who is the lawyer here? You are the prosecutor, Kamek. Shouldn`t you just be making my task harder?"

"That`s what I`m doing, actually… by leaving open another question, I let you ask the witness about it," Kamek replied.

"Fine… So, Toadswore, is there any secret behind the Yoshi eggs? Maybe the baby Yoshis recognize the first person they see as their mom or dad, and you wanted to sell the baby Yoshis to pet shops… it suits your past perfectly."

"Toddtoad… You`re… WRONG!" Toadswore said with overconfidence. This left Toddtoad in shock. "I`ll let you guess their real use. Or maybe someone else will say it."

"This hasn`t helped us at all," Toadsworth said, shaking his head. "Can the witness continue his testimony?"

"Yes. But at 3 PM, she came back, telling me to forget about the deal, and she paid her sun cream."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "So she told you to forget about the deal and she was even ready to pay?"

"Yes, but then she told me where the eggs were, and I offered her to catch them with rocket shoes."

"Yes, she mentioned this in her testimony," Kamek said.

"She left with the rocket shoes, as proven on your sold items sheet. Continue, please."

"At 4 PM, though, Wario was eating in the side-restaurant when Birdo arrived."

"Wait… I didn`t know there was a side-restaurant in your shop!" Kamek said.

"Yes, it`s small and we can serve a maximum of five people at a time, but yet again, I`m the only one in charge of it. That`s why Wario was in there, alone, eating garlic hotdogs with a garlic soft drink… that guy has bizarre tastes, I know. Can I now move on to the next part of my testimony?"

"You seem quite in a hurry, Toadswore. Some minutes ago, you said the same thing. You explained that you don`t want any of your material to be stolen," Kamek said.

"But this is somehow contradictory since you are a robber yourself!" Toddtoad completed. "Of course, you have been a thief, and you still are – however this time you`ve asked Birdo to go get your stuff for you!"

Toadswore stood in shock, his cool glasses falling off and his mouth opening wide like some minutes ago. "My, my, you two are a serious pair of lawyers… you saw through my lies… but there is no way I would tell you why I wanted these eggs."

Toddtoad used his item to look into Toadswore`s mind, and what he saw surprised him; despite many secrets having been revealed, everything was still pitch-black in there1 He couldn`t see a single thing! And the eraser would become useless is he was to use it. Toadswore was a master at hiding his own secrets.

"Mister Shopkeeper, can you continue your testimony, please?"

"Fine. Birdo asked for rocket shoes, and she paid them, but Wario followed her after she left. Daisy came in around 5 PM, asking for Wario. I told her she missed it by an hour and that he left. I spent the rest of the day reading comic books sold in the shop and the Daily Shroom, while waiting for clients to arrive. It was calm all day long, because everyone was at the Fair, having fun, while I was losing my time waiting for customers."

"Cross-examination can continue," Toadsworth said.

"Birdo asked for rocket shoes, and she paid them, but Wario followed her after she left."

"Hold it!" Todtoad said. "Earlier you said she had left with the rocket shoes at 3 PM!"

"Oh? Well… actually, she refused my help, and she offered to pay the sun cream. But she came back an hour later, decided in having her money back, because it was now too late for sunbathing, and I told her that if she wanted her money back, she`d have to bring me the eggs – and to succeed in this, I gave her total 100% discount on whatever she would need. That way she left with the rocket shoes; I deducted the eggs were placed in height. But I have no idea why Wario decided to follow her."

"Okay, let`s move on," the judge said.

"Daisy came in around 5 PM, asking for Wario. I told her she missed it by an hour and that he left."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "Do you have any idea on why she wanted to see Wario?"

"Actually, no. She hasn`t told me a thing."

"Okay, continue."

"I spent the rest of the day reading comic books sold in the shop and the Daily Shroom, while waiting for clients to arrive. It was calm all day long, because everyone was at the Fair, having fun, while I was losing my time waiting for customers."

"That`s all?" Toadsworth asked.

"Yes. What? Do you want me to pull a new lie out of my sleeve? I`m no magician, unlike Sir Kamek."

"Anyway, we thought you could add up something else to the main case – Yoshi`s murder."

"I can`t, I didn`t know a thing about that."

"…yes, however we should remember that one of the things that lead to Yoshi`s death is the robbery of the eggs by Birdo, and you must admit now that you are faulty on this part. The only thing we can do is lock you up for manipulation and release Birdo."

"I will pay, I have enough money thanks to the shop`s benefits."

There was still the dark look behind Toadswore`s eyes. When leaving, Toadswore swore. Just to honor his name. Toadsworth decided he had heard enough for today.

"Court is adjourned for the day. A good night of sleep will earn us only good. We have heard enough things today. We will sleep on that and we`ll come back tomorrow to finalize the case. Who else must pass here? Oh yeah, right: Tatanga, Waluigi and Wario."

In next chapter: Everyone is refreshed thanks to a good night, but yet again the case isn`t closed! Tatanga comes in the room. Will the alien add anything new to what has been said? Now that almost everything has been said, there is not much; but he can yet again add some spice to the soup this mystery has become. Who did it? Whodunit? Tell me by review if you think you got the answer


	10. Tatanga! Theres no Turning Back!

I don`t own the characters. Only Toddtoad and Toadswore are mine. Also, Shigeru Miyamoto would never let Mario or Lugii go into a mystery like that one, so I guess the concept is mine. However since it is taken from Ace Attorney series, it is not mine either... oh well, life`s unfair, but no one cares. At least we can use these characters and this situation in fanfictions.

Chapter 10: Tatanga! There`s no Turning Back!

"Let`s review everything that has been said yesterday," Toadsworth said as soon as he walked behind his desk.

"It will be too long," Kamek said. "There have been too many things. It will all come back during the three remaining witnesses."

"I gotta admit Kamek is right here," Toddtoad said. "We will remember all of this while asking the last people."

Just then everyone could hear a loud snore. It was Luigi, sleeping beside Toddtoad. The Ace Attorney shook Luigi, who fell off. "Where am I?"

"…in Court, Luigi," Toddtoad said with the sweat drop on the left side of his head. "Will you wake up? I still need your help."

"I`ll try staying awake…"

Just then, Tatanga entered the room. The purple-skinned alien was cooler than anyone thought. (I imagine him as he is pictured in some comics, tall like an adult, with a black and purple space outfit with a red belt, and a serious look on the face. He also has small fangs.) He stepped on the stand, and his presence was felt as soon as he stopped moving.

"What?" he simply asked.

"Let`s see what your file says," Toadsworth said. "The reports indicate you have once been an enemy of Mario. Many years ago, you invaded Sarasaland and kidnapped Princess Daisy. Mario defeated you while you were in your Pagosu, a powerful fighting machine. Later it was revealed that this whole thing was orchestrated by Wario, who was planning to take Mario`s personal Castle. You come back in a smaller spaceship, where Mario defeats you a final time and believes you are dead. You show up once in a while in fanfictions and seem to hold no grudge on Mario."

"All this is true, your Honor," Tatanga said.

"One thing I do not understand however…" Toadsworth said. "You were officially declared dead by Mario himself after your final encounter in space."

"Oh, this?" Tatanga said, with a false smile over the head. "Well, when my spaceship came out of view, I set myself into a short coma to recover from my wounds, and when I woke up I was alive again. I guess Mario thought I was dead. I heard Mario`s Castle was being vacant forever since the Hero had too much work in the Mushroom Kingdom, so I lived there."

"Has Mario accepted?" Luigi demanded.

"No… but I hadn`t asked him either. He was too busy. But I am now thankful to him. I became a nice alien since then. I lived somehow peacefully in Sarasaland for all these years. Until something came and pulled me out of my peace…"

"Wait… what is this entire story about?" Kamek wondered.

"I`ll tell more in my testimony," Tatanga answered.

"Okay, I suppose it is not of use to lose more time," Toadsworth said. "Can you tell your whole testimony please?"

"Sure. It began yesterday night, when I was kidnapped by someone. All I know is that I have been brought in a flying saucer in the Sarasaland Airport, which flew off to here. I saw the light back here in the Mushroom Kingdom; my kidnapper had sold me to the Fair as the Extrakingdomian! I planned an escape but the Fair`s guardians were too bright and would never let me escape."

"I finally figured out an exit at 10 AM, leaving behind the Haunted Mansion. But for this I had to go though it, and it`s inside that I found the gun. I kept it with me, and I did well. But near the main entrance I met Mario and Peach on their date. After some talking, I ran away; however I was caught red-handed and thrown back in."

"I tried a final time at 1 PM, during the guards` lunchtime. I finally succeeded, but Bowser chased me until in front of his Castle. I shot once, but he avoided it. I ran away, but he didn't follow me. I ended up on Sunny Mushroom Beach, and there I hid the gun in some bushes. I stood there to rest, having finally escaped. When I awoke, the green dinosaur was there. It was 4 PM."

"But Princess Daisy arrived and threatened me, until I told her I was on the good side of the Force now. She told me about some Tennis Court, so I decided to go there. But once there I met Bowser, then Mario and Peach, and there went her fit of anger which scared us. That`s when going by the Beach, we saw the corpse… and the gun fell off the bushes."

"You certainly had a busy day," Kamek said. "Mind telling us more?"

"I don`t think I can add anything else – unless you want me to joke and say that I`m now scarred for life about your world`s women."

"Yes, that was funny… but in Court, we really should keep being serious. Tell the first part of your testimony," Toadsworth ordered.

"It began yesterday night, when I was kidnapped by someone. All I know is that I have been brought in a flying saucer in the Sarasaland Airport, which flew off to here. I saw the light back here in the Mushroom Kingdom; my kidnapper had sold me to the Fair as the "Extrakingdomian"! I planned an escape but the Fair`s guardians were too bright and would never let me escape."

"…a case of kidnapping?"

"I`d say alien-napping, in my opinion," Kamek commented.

"Anyway, this part has only new stuff. This means we have new details to add to the whole story. Cross-examination may begin, I would like to know more about this.

"Tatanga, would you mind telling again the first lines of your testimony?"

"I don`t mind. It began yesterday night, when I was kidnapped by someone. All I know is that I have been brought in a flying saucer in the Sarasaland Airport, which flew off to here."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "A spaceship? In Sarasaland Airport?"

"I think so; I couldn`t see much because my eyes were covered, but my extraterrestrial senses came and told me approximately how was the room. It looked like a spaceship room."

"Toddtoad, do you think what I`m thinking?" Luigi asked.

"Yes, and I`ll ask right away. Tatanga, while you were stuck in that spaceship, you guessed you were at the airport. Can you tell us how you can be so sure?"

"Sure. I could hear planes around. As simple as that."

"And do you know what time it was?"

"This I don`t know at all. However I deducted it was still night."

"This links directly to Princess Daisy`s testimony!" Toddtoad yelled. "She said that night she couldn`t leave early enough to rest here in the Mushroom Kingdom… because the airport was blocked by a spaceship!"

"But do you know who kidnapped you, mister Tatanga?" Kamek asked, proud to remember this alien`s name.

"No. All I remember is that I could finally see again this morning, locked up in a cage where it was clearly written "The Amazing Extrakingdomian"."

"…you have been sold to a creep show?" Toadsworth asked, astonished.

"It seems so."

"Continue with your testimony, please."

"I saw the light back here in the Mushroom Kingdom; my kidnapper had sold me to the Fair as the "Extrakingdomian"!"

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "You just repeated yourself; not a bad thing, we can see clearer what you meant. It`s terrible."

"Yes, even Bowser would not sell himself to a creep show. He`s too scary," Kamek joked.

"Just who exactly could have done that?" Toadsworth asked.

"Well, I suppose it is the one who owns the Fair I guess."

Toadworth asked for Shroomlock to come in the room, and asked him to search about the Fair`s owner. "Continue with your testimony, please."

"I planned an escape but the Fair`s guardians were too bright and would never let me escape."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "You tried escaping?"

"Best solution in my opinion," Kamek said.

"Yes… but how did you learn the guards were smart?"

"They knew some of the people used in the creep show are actually kidnapped, so the owner had prepared a full team of guarding Toads to avoid any "leaking"."

"Leaking? What do you mean by this?" Toddtoad asked.

"It means that if any of the kidnapped characters was to escape, it would tell authorities about the illegal use of kidnapped people for amusement and the owner would get sent to jail. See, I just "leaked"."

"Fine. That was… strange," Toadsworth said. "You mean the Fair`s owner is really kidnapping characters from all over the Kingdom and is sending them in the creep show?"

"Yes."

"This is one of the most punishable reprehensible acts in the whole law code!" Kamek screamed. "Are you perfectly sure about it, Tatanga?"

"As sure as I come from a distant planet where everyone is purple-skinned, mister Magikoopa."

Toadsworth looked confused, but then he said: "Fine, move on to part two of your testimony."

"I finally figured out an exit at 10 AM, leaving behind the Haunted Mansion. But for this I had to go though it, and it`s inside that I found the gun. I kept it with me, and I did well. But near the main entrance I met Mario and Peach on their date. After some talking, I ran away; however I was caught red-handed and thrown back in."

"Cross-examination shall continue," Toadsworth said.

"I finally figured out an exit at 10 AM, leaving behind the Haunted Mansion. But for this I had to go though it, and it`s inside that I found the gun."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "It is Bowser`s gun, isn`t it?" he said, showing the weapon.

"Yes, it`s indeed the one I found in the Haunted Mansion."

"I got no more questions on this part. Let`s move on."

"I kept it with me, and I did well. But near the main entrance I met Mario and Peach on their date. After some talking, I ran away; however I was caught red-handed and thrown back in."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "Mario and Peach already explained us this part of their own story. Thy each said you were trying to escape something. But you never mentioned what or why. Can you explain why such mysteries?"

"Because I know Mario is fast on the button and if he was to learn there were kidnapped characters in the creep show, he`d go kick the owner`s butt. However, I could not explain him everything because I could also be caught and thrown back in my cage where it is written Extrakingdomian."

"But this was of no use because you got caught. Have you menaced them with the weapon then?"

"No… I had totally forgotten about it actually. Just when I landed on my back, in my cage, I remembered having it."

"That`s all for part two?" Kamek asked. "Why do I have the strange feeling that something`s missing?"

"Wait, it`s coming up," Tatanga replied.

"So, Tatanga, can you tell part three now?"

"Sure, mister attorney. I tried a final time at 1 PM, during the guards` lunchtime. I finally succeeded, but Bowser chased me until in front of his Castle. I shot once, but he avoided it. I ran away, but he didn't follow me. I ended up on Sunny Mushroom Beach, and there I hid the gun in some bushes. I stood there to rest, having finally escaped. When I awoke, the green dinosaur was there. It was 4 PM."

"Cross-examination, please," Toadsworth said.

"I tried a final time at 1 PM, during the guards` lunchtime. I finally succeeded, but Bowser chased me until in front of his Castle."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "So he saw the gun?"

"It seems so. To escape I had to shoot once to scare the only working guard away. That`s when Bowser heard it and chased me. We ended up in front of his Castle."

"That explains why he ran after you. You can continue on your story."

"I shot once, but he avoided it. I ran away, but he didn't follow me."

"So that`s why there are two bullets missing in the gun!" Kamek understood.

"Yes, I was trying to protect myself. Anyway, when I ran away, I noticed I would not be safe until I hide the gun somewhere."

"Continue with your story, please," Toadsworth said.

"I ended up on Sunny Mushroom Beach, and there I hid the gun in some bushes. I stood there to rest, having finally escaped."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "So… you were finally free. Why didn`t you leave for Sarasaland?"

"Um… I couldn`t," Tatanga said.

"Can you tell this part again?"

"Fine. I ended up on Sunny Mushroom Beach, and there I hid the gun in some bushes. I stood there to rest, having finally escaped."

But when Tatanga said the word "finally", his ears twitched.

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad yelled. "I just saw that! When you lie, your ears twitch. That means you knew you couldn`t escape yet. Why did you stay in the Kingdom then, instead of leaving for Sarasaland?"

"I… don`t remember about this."

Toddtoad knew this was a lie, so he used his item to enter Tatanga`s mind. There almost everything was cleared. There was only one part which was hidden below a layer of grey. This was easily erased, and below was a drawing of a plane with a question mark besides it.

"Gotcha!" Toddtoad yelled again. "You couldn`t leave because the airport was closed, wasn`t it?"

"Wait… how did you guess that? All I did was rushing to the airport, looking at the available flights, and turning back because no one was going to Sarasaland."

"And you couldn`t leave by any other means, so you decided to rest for now. But you still had the gun with you! That means you had to hide it! When on the Beach, you saw some bushes and decided to hide the gun there."

"Are you a mind reader?" Tatanga asked. "Because that`s exactly what happened!"

"Um… a wild guess," Toddtoad answered.

"Fine. If you`re done on this part, tell the end of your testimony, mister Tatanga."

"I stood there to rest, having finally escaped. When I awoke, the green dinosaur was there. It was 4 PM."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "So you slept on the Beach. Did you know it was Yoshi`s home?"

"Who is Yoshi?"

"The green dinosaur that got killed by a javelin…"

"Oh yeah, right… sorry, I didn`t think about that. Well, I didn't know he was living there. I thought they had their own island?"

"Well, when Yoshi is in the Mushroom Kingdom, he resides in Sunny Mushroom Beach," Toadsworth explained.

"Ah okay. Well, I know humans often like to sunbathe, so I decided to try it. I didn`t spend enough time, apparently. Or maybe I just can`t tan."

"Now, continue with the final part of your testimony."

"But Princess Daisy arrived and threatened me, until I told her I was on the good side of the Force now. She told me about some Tennis Court, so I decided to go there. But once there I met Bowser, then Mario and Peach, and there went her fit of anger which scared us. That`s when going by the Beach, we saw the corpse… and the gun fell off the bushes."

"Toddtoad, are you ready for the final cross-examination?"

"Yes, your Honor. Tatanga, would you mind repeating the first sentences?"

"Princess Daisy arrived and threatened me, until I told her I was on the good side of the Force now."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "The good side of the Force? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it`s a reference to a very popular movie on my home planet…"

"Ah, that explains it. However, do you know why Daisy threatened you?" Kamek asked.

"Actually no, I haven`t caused any problem since many years… I guess she was scared. That`s all."

"Okay, move on."

"She told me about some Tennis Court, so I decided to go there. But once there I met Bowser, then Mario and Peach, and there went her fit of anger which scared us."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "Why were you going there in the first place?"

"Well, since I never appeared in any sport game, I decided to go take a look at that just for the fun of it."

"Ah, ok. And why were you three into an argument then?"

"Well, Bowser was yelling at me because I stole his weapon, Mario was yelling at Bowser, and I was yelling at Mario since after I talked to him when I tried escaping I thought he had told the guards about my escape. That`s when Peach got angry and sent us all to this Court."

"Are we done yet?" Kamek asked. He was losing patience over Tatanga.

"Almost, mister Magikoopa. That`s when going by the Beach, we saw the corpse… and the gun fell off the bushes. That`s all."

"Finally!" Kamek said. Everyone looked at him. "What? I couldn`t have my morning coffee, so I`m really tired. As soon as this alien leaves, I will go get one."

"Tatanga, are you done?" Toadsworth asked.

"Yes."

"Then I declare a fifteen minute recess. Tatanga, you are now free. You can go back in Sarasaland."

"Thanks, your Honor."

***

Some time later…

"Your Honor! We found out some terrible news!" Shroomlock said. "We did research on the Fair, and its owner is none other than… Toadswore!"

"…Toadswore?" Everyone in the court yelled at the same time.

"The shopkeeper?" Tooadsworth asked. "How could he even get to own such an event?"

"He was at first working as a simple sponsor, and this lasted for five years. Then he bought the whole event and decided to change nothing."

"Nothing but the creep show, that is," Toddtoad completed Shroomlock`s sentence.

"We now have a decent mandate to send Toadswore in jail for a long while," Toadsworth decided, smashing his hammer three times on the desk. "As soon as the main case is solved, I will call Toadswore here again and he will spend a long time in the dark."

***

In next chapter: Now that his part is completely (or almost completely) cleared, there are only two left! Waluigi confesses what he had been hiding from when he arrived at the Beach. Is he the real killer? Well, since I want to keep as much secrets as possible, I`m gonna keep my fingers from writing it here. You`ll have to wait.


	11. Waluigi! Youre Hiding Stuff!

I don`t own much on that story... At least the story is complicated enough to rival with real mystery stories. Still not as impressive as Sherlock Holmes` story (and I know what I mean; I went to see it twice!) or Hercule Poirot, but well... whatever. Let`s begin, shall we?

* * *

Chapter 11: Waluigi! You`re Hiding Stuff!

When the tallest plumber of all entered the room, everyone could only look at him. His long legs and his thin body made him look like a branch. However, he had some kind of strange look on the face, a mix of confusion and anger. The symbol on his cap was not even a real letter; just an upside-down L. Who had this weird idea anyway? The plumber walked to the witness stand. As soon as he got there, Kamek lectured him.

"Your name is Waluigi. You are Wario`s brother and, as to what rumors say, Mario and Luigi`s cousin, or something alike. When you arrived on the crime scene, you saw the corpse, and yelled "It`s not me, I swear! I have never seen that javelin before! Um, I mean… what happened here? Did I miss something really terrible while I was at the Fair?" This indicated you recognized the javelin, but this also shows it could have been a simple incident as well. Am I right up to now?"

Waluigi nodded.

"So, do you think you might have done it?"

Waluigi nodded, and looked at his shoes. He felt guilty; it could be seen by his actions.

"Hey, minute!" Toddtoad said. "It is possible that Princess Daisy did it. There is a slight chance that it is not you who did it."

On this, Waluigi lifted his head. He seemed relieved.

"But… there is also a slight chance that it`s your fault," Toadsworth reminded him. "If you please, we will hear your full testimony, which will help us decide whether you are guilty or not."

"…Okay. My story starts somewhere around 9 AM. Wario was back from something I didn`t know about, and he explained me what it was. We left for the Tennis Court, and there Wario found Peach`s flower shirt. We played for a while until he told me about the Fair and its greatest attraction, the Haunted Mansion. I went there, but while waiting in line, I accidentally opened a secret pass."

"When going in it, I saw the greatest collection of weapons I had ever seen. I was amazed. I could also see Mario and Bowser battle it out outside the weapon vault. I stole one of the javelins from the vault and left. I went back home, and when Wario arrived, I showed him my discovery. Using his rare deduction, he told me that since the javelin has the Bowser seal on it, everyone will know I stole it!"

"Around 3 PM, I decided to hide the javelin near Bowser`s Castle. I arrived there at 5 and there I saw another javelin, but that one had no Bowser seal. So I exchanged the javelins, and headed to the fair. There I decided to try the javelin in a Fair mini-game, but after a series of events the javelin was thrown out of sight. That`s when I left for the Beach, and there I saw the javelin, which might as well be the one I had thrown minutes before."

"Wait, that`s it?" Toddtoad asked. "You had an easy day? You weren`t trying to do anything… evil?"

"What`s that supposed to mean?" Walugi asked.

"Well, we were wondering… since you`re a bad guy like Wario…"

"Wario? He was busy on something else. I wasn`t feeling evil that day I guess."

"Yeah, when`s the last time you`ve felt evil anyway?" Luigi muttered. Waluigi understood that and immediately replied:

"Hey, when I stole those keys it was some kind of dare, and it`s not my bad if Mario really wanted to dance!"

"Order! Order!" Toadsworth said, smashing his hammer. "Now, let`s get back to our case. Since you are linked to Wario, we wanted to ask you if you knew anything of use…"

"Well, he indeed told me some things, but it`s now unclear."

"Then we will discover it all on your testimony," Toadsworth said. "Can you repeat the first part?"

"My story starts somewhere around 9 AM. Wario was back from something I didn`t know about, and he explained me what it was. We left for the Tennis Court, and there Wario found Peach`s flower shirt. We played for a while until he told me about the Fair and its greatest attraction, the Haunted Mansion. I went there, but while waiting in line, I accidentally opened a secret pass."

"Cross-examination may begin," Toadsworth told Toddtoad.

"So, Waluigi… can you please repeat the first lines of this testimony?"

"My story starts somewhere around 9 AM. Wario was back from something I didn`t know about, and he explained me what it was."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "So… he told you. What was it exactly?"

"I already said it; I don`t remember too well…" Waluigi said, pinching his mustache.

Toddtoad thought to himself: "Well, what your memory won`t reveal, your mind will reveal it." And he went in Waluigi`s mind. Three things out of five have been cleared. There were only two black spots. He tried erasing one. However, it was too dark. The other, however, was easily erased, and below, Toddtoad could see… Yoshi eggs?

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad yelled. "You said you didn`t remember, but you were lying, because you were pinching your mustache. So, I looked in your mind and saw what you were hiding. Might it be possible… that what Wario was gone to do… had something to do with Yoshi eggs?"

Waluigi yelled "Ack!", his mustaches fell down, giving him a strange look, and his nose seemed to fall. A second later, all this was back in place. "Yes, it was all about Yoshi eggs. But I don`t remember anything else."

"Are you sure?"

"I`m as sure as the symbol on my hat is a upside-down L."

"Okay, then, you can continue with your story."

"We left for the Tennis Court, and there Wario found Peach`s flower shirt."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "What did he do with it?"

"I saw it as soon as I entered the changing room; apparently Wario had used a nice trick. He had switched the boy/girl changing rooms signs another day, hoping to create some… chaos."

"He`s over 36 and he still makes preteen-level jokes. How smart," Kamek commented. "So, when Daisy and Birdo went to change, they were actually in the boys` locker room. But since there was nobody else in the Tennis Court, no one could see them. Thus, no one could tell them it was not the right room."

"Good deduction, Kamek," Toddtoad congratulated. "Well, now we know why Daisy`s shirt was in the boys` locker room. But one mystery remains, Waluigi: Why did Wario take it?"

"I don`t know actually if he took it. One minute I see it on a bench, and the next, poof! It`s gone. And Wario has a weird smile on the face, just as if he had found a zillion coins in a treasure chest."

"Well, this will help understanding this part. You can continue."

"We played for a while until he told me about the Fair and its greatest attraction, the Haunted Mansion. I went there, but while waiting in line, I accidentally opened a secret pass."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said again. "What happened exactly?"

"Well… at one point I was tired of waiting in line, so I sat on a nearby rock. That`s when I probably sat on a button of some sort and I saw something opening. I entered there and I saw the weapon vault. From there, I could see the Toads being scared by the fake ghosts, and I could also see Mario fighting Bowser, which didn`t surprise me at all. And that`s it for the first part of my testimony."

"Okay. Can you tell again the second part?"

"When going in it, I saw the greatest collection of weapons I had ever seen. I was amazed. I could also see Mario and Bowser battle it out outside the weapon vault. I stole one of the javelins from the vault and left. I went back home, and when Wario arrived, I showed him my discovery. Using his rare deduction, he told me that since the javelin has the Bowser seal on it, everyone will know I stole it!"

"Cross-examination can continue," Toadsworth ordered.

"When going in it, I saw the greatest collection of weapons I had ever seen. I was amazed. I could also see Mario and Bowser battle it out outside the weapon vault. I stole one of the javelins from the vault and left. I went back home, and when Wario arrived, I showed him my discovery."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "You told us pretty much all of that during the first part of your testimony. Now, for the javelin… why did you sow it to Wario in the first place?"

"Heh. You know what it is; partners in crime know everything of each other. If one do anything at least a bit evil, we gotta let the other know so that he can help his brother. Not like Mario! He never asks for help to Luigi. On this I can say I`m treated better." Luigi heard that and growled. "What, Luigi? It`s true!"

"Back to the javelin thing, please," Kamek interrupted. "So you showed it to Wario. Was it to know what he would think of it?"

"Well, I wanted to tell him about my discovery so that we could pick in there if we need weapons one day."

"Okay, move on."

"Using his rare deduction, he told me that since the javelin has the Bowser seal on it, everyone will know I stole it!"

When hearing the words "rare deduction", Toddtoad could only laugh. "Wario isn`t the brightest light in the attic, not the sharpest hunk of cheese in the cellar, that`s true. But what he said was true however. If Bowser or his minions were to see you with a javelin having the Bowser seal on the blade, they would report it to their leader, and you`d be in great trouble. I think we`re done for this part. Can we continue?"

"Around 3 PM, I decided to hide the javelin near Bowser`s Castle. I arrived there at 4:05 and there I saw another javelin, but that one had no Bowser seal. So I switched the javelins, and headed to the fair. There I decided to try the javelin in a Fair mini-game, but after a series of events the javelin was thrown out of sight. That`s when I left for the Beach, and there I saw the javelin, which might as well be the one I had thrown minutes before."

"Okay, I am ready to cross-examine, your Honor."

"So let it be. Can you repeat the first sentences, Waluigi?"

"Sure. Around 3 PM, I decided to hide the javelin near Bowser`s Castle. I arrived there at 4:05 and there I saw another javelin, but that one had no Bowser seal."

"So your first reflex was to hide the javelin around, eh?" Toddtoad asked.

"Yeah. A javelin with Bowser`s seal around Bowser`s castle… made sense in my opinion."

"If the other javelin was there," Toddtoad guessed, "it`s because Ludwig Von Koopa had already thrown it out the window. And Mario almost got hit by it. That means that when you were there, Mario was already gone to the Tennis Court. As such, he couldn`t see you coming. Continue, please."

"So I switched the javelins, and headed to the fair. There I decided to try the javelin in a Fair mini-game, but after a series of events the javelin was thrown out of sight."

"What happened exactly with the javelin? We need information, not suppositions."

"Well… At firs I tried it on a game where I had to make six tin cans fall. I won, so I re-tried. However I threw too fast, the javelin somehow passed through the stand`s back wall, slammed in an arbalest, and was thrown back to an unknown place. It flew out of sight."

"Okay… that clears it up. I think we`re done now," Kamek said.

"For once, I must agree. Waluigi didn`t know where the javelin flew off to. That means the javelin might have hit Yoshi as well. There is no way out of this unless we discover which javelin is in Yoshi`s heart. We will need something to clean blood stains."

Toadsworth called Shroomlock in the court and asked him to look in their detective items to see if they had anything to clean blood off a blade. Shroomlock answered that he`ll see, but he wasn`t sure. Shroomlock left.

"Now, we have only two possibilities; either it is Daisy, who threw the "Bowser seal javelin" to Wario and missed, or it`s Waluigi, whose seal-less javelin flew out of sight. I suppose it`s one of them. But to ensure any miscalculation and to have proof on Daisy`s testimony, we will end this with Wario`s testimony."

In next chapter: the final testimony! Wario will answer one main question everyone is asking since the beginning, but which one? And will he add anything new? Well, that`s to see! After that chapter, the final chapter will be about the whole answer.


	12. Wario! You did somethng for sure!

Chapter 12: Wario! It`s all Because of you! I suppose…

When Wario entered the room, Kamek muttered "finally". Toddtoad heard it.

"What, Kamek? Are you tired of this case or just the fact that we had to ask over twelve people about a single case?"

"The two I guess."

"Well, I gotta admit I`m also getting tired of it. Let`s finish it with Wario and we`ll find the culprit."

Just then Wario had stepped on the witness stand.

"Wario, you are the final person. We will most likely end this trial with you." Wario sneezed. "This means you are our final chance at discovering the killer. Can you tell us your day?"

"Well, it was the day the Fair opened, and I had a rough day with a girl chasing me almost all day long like a crazy fan."

"…she was chasing you because you stole something from her."

"What?"

"Don`t fake it. We know everything. But to make sure all this was true, you will tell us your own story."

"Well, I was born over thirty years ago, in a modest hospital…"

"…Not that far, garlic eater," Kamek said.

"Yeah, just tell us what happened on your side during the day the murder occurred."

"Ah, only that? Well, I guess I can tell you. In the morning, I had something important to do at the Beach. When I arrived there at 7 AM, Yoshi was eating breakfast. I did what I had to do, but Yoshi chased me. We ended behind Peach`s Castle, and he stood there while I went back home. I told Waluigi what my job was, and we left for the Tennis Court. There I explained him the trick I had used."

"In the guys` locker room, I found Daisy`s shirt and hid it, hoping to give it back to her. We played, and after a while I saw I was really good, so I left to defy Mario to a game. However, behind Mario`s house I saw Yoshi, and he attacked me without any reason. So I defended myself. I knocked him unconscious. Then I remembered of something of importance and came back home. Waluigi arrived some time later, and he showed m the javelin with the Bowser seal. I told him he`d get in trouble if he would keep the javelin, so he left to hide it."

"I left for the Fair, and there I saw Daisy. I tried handing her the shirt, but she attacked me! I ran away and hid in the Shop. There I ate a garlic hot dog with a garlic soft drink. I saw Birdo borrowing rocket shoes, and I guessed what she was up to. I followed her to Peach`s Castle, and we fought. However I had to escape. I went to Bowser`s Castle, and there I found Daisy, who attacked me – again! She even threw me a javelin! She decided we could arrange all that in this Court, so we left, and we saw Yoshi dead while passing by the Beach."

"So that`s it?" Kamek asked, annoyed. He was really tired of this whole case.

"Wait, Kamek, the cross-examination still hasn`t begun!"

"What are you waiting for then?" Kamek yelled.

One could easily see everyone was tired of that case.

"Erm… Okay then. Cross-examination will begin," Toadsworth said. "Wario, would you mind repeating the first part of your testimony?"

"OK. In the morning, I had something important to do at the Beach. When I arrived there at 7 AM, Yoshi was eating breakfast. I did what I had to do, but Yoshi chased me. We ended behind Peach`s Castle, and he stood there while I went back home. I told Waluigi what my job was, and we left for the Tennis Court. There I explained him the trick I had used."

"Now, can you repeat the first sentences?"

"In the morning, I had something important to do at the Beach. When I arrived there at 7 AM, Yoshi was eating breakfast. I did what I had to do, but Yoshi chased me."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "So you had something important to do on the Beach? At 7 in the morning? And while Yoshi was there?"

"Yes, that`s it. But he had no reason of following me!"

"I`m not so sure," Toddtoad thought to himself. "Maybe I can take off a heavy weight from him." Then, to Wario: "Can you repeat this sentence?"

"But he had no reason of following me!" Wario said, sniffing.

"GOTCHA!" Toddtoad yelled. "You can lie, but your body can`t."

"Then, what did my body tell you?"

"See, when someone won`t tell the truth, usually the body will reveal it. Some will sweat below the arms; others will swallow… you sniffed when you said exactly the words "no reason"!"

"Ack!" Wario yelled, his nose turning purple and his mustaches getting straight. When his nose came back to red and his mustaches came back to normal, he looked at Toddtoad and said: "Fine, you got me. But do you at least know why I was there so early?"

"Let`s deduct this. At 7 AM, very few things happened. Yoshi was eating breakfast, as you said, so he was busy with something else. Then, let`s recall a past testimony. Birdo said the other day that Yoshi had lost his eggs behind Peach`s Castle. And, big surprise, your testimony here reveals that after Yoshi chased you, you two ended behind Peach`s Castle, somewhere around 8 AM. There is only one possible answer… YOU are the one who stole Yoshi`s eggs in the first place!"

"Wha-a-a-a-a-a-at?" Wario said in shock.

"Let`s face it, it`s the only scenario one can think of. After all, Yoshi wouldn`t have cared if it was not related to him, but it was. He felt like his eggs were in danger, so he chased you to have them back."

"Okay, fine. However, no one till now revealed why these eggs were so important, and I`m gonna keep this secret with me!"

Toddtoad entered Wario`s mind and saw that a good part of it was purple. By mixing up red and blue, he got the right color and now was able to erase it. Below the purple "mind ink", there was… a cracked egg with scrambled eggs.

"No way…" Toddtoad muttered in Court.

"Did you see anything bad with Wario?" Luigi asked.

"Yes… he stole the eggs…"

"This we know, but why?" Kamek asked.

"To make scrambled eggs!" Toddtoad yelled. Everyone stood surprised because Toddtoad had yelled very loud, and also because what he had said was inhuman. No one would really dare to do that.

"That`s impossible! One can buy normal eggs in shops! We never saw what is inside a Yoshi egg," Toadsworth said.

"Actually…" Toddtoad began. "One person knows. One who passed here earlier. The one who knows many dark secrets and who spent his youth selling baddies and animals to pet shops… Toadswore told Wario about the eggs!"

"You`ve got to be kidding us!" Kamek yelled. "Birdo told us Toadswore wanted the eggs. Does that man he wanted to eat scrambled eggs? This does not sound like a good motive for stealing Yoshi`s eggs. Besides, if Toadswore knew, he could have told Birdo… but would he have told Wario earlier?"

"Well, let`s ask Wario," Toddtoad answered. "I think there is nothing to hide anymore. Tell us what is so special with these eggs so that you had to steal them."

Wario sighed. "Fine. I really hate to say it because it won`t be secret anymore, but… Toadswore told me the scrambled eggs made from Yoshi eggs could make someone as agile and light as a Yoshi. You know that usually Mario, Luigi, me and my bro eat mushrooms to gain powers – well, it would be difficult to eat an egg! Besides, Toadswore said that their powers come only when in contact with heat, so there is no other choice than eat them as scrambled eggs."

"So you wanted to try this power, is that so?"

"Yes… but I didn`t plan about Yoshi chasing me. When he ran after me, we ended up behind the Castle. It took five minutes before he arrived, so I hid his eggs in a nearby tree."

"And there we know about Yoshi searching for them, failing, and going back to the Beach," Kamek completed.

"Now that this rather mysterious part is completed, shall we proceed to the next part of his testimony? Wario, please, continue."

"We ended behind Peach`s Castle, and he stood there while I went back home. I told Waluigi what my job was, and we left for the Tennis Court. There I explained him the trick I had used."

"You told him about the switched panels?"

"Yes, he seemed to think it was funny. Not my best trick ever, but a funny one. Imagine you switch them again while there`s people in it… If someone enters…" Wario began laughing.

Toddtoad shook his head. "Wario… you`re a pervert or what? That`s one of the dumbest ideas I`ve ever heard! And believe me, I work as an attorney at law, I have heard many things, many stupid things too, but this is one of the worst." This shut Wario`s mouth up.

"Your first testimony is complete," Toadsworth told Wario. "Let`s move on to the second part."

"In the guys` locker room, I found Daisy`s shirt and hid it, hoping to give it back to her. We played, and after a while I saw I was really good, so I left to defy Mario to a game. However, behind Mario`s house I saw Yoshi, and he attacked me without any reason. So I defended myself. I knocked him unconscious. Then I remembered of something of importance and came back home. Waluigi arrived some time later, and he showed me the javelin with the Bowser seal. I told him he`d get in trouble if he would keep the javelin, so he left to hide it."

"Cross-examination can continue."

"In the guys` locker room, I found Daisy`s shirt and hid it, hoping to give it back to her."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "Is it true? Because when we hear about your, um… ideas… let`s say only one with a perverted mind would think about switching panels… Well, your might as well have kept it for the fun of it… unless you hide something else…"

Toddtoad went into Wario`s mind. There he erased another part. Below he could see a heart with Daisy`s face on it.

"… maybe you kept it because you have a secret crush on Daisy?"

"Wha-a-a-a-at?" Wario yelled. "How did you find out?"

"Too complicated, you wouldn`t understand. Continue with your testimony, please."

"We played, and after a while I saw I was really good, so I left to defy Mario to a game. However, behind Mario`s house I saw Yoshi, and he attacked me without any reason." When Wario aid the word "without any reason", he sniffed again.

"See? You knew this was a lie, it has been proven earlier, and you sniffed. Your body reacts to lies," Toddtoad explained. "Well, we know Yoshi attacked you because of the eggs you hid behind Peach`s Castle. I bet he thought you would tell him where you hid them. Do you have any idea why Yoshi was there?"

"Um… no."

"And what time was it?"

"It was noon."

"Okay, continue."

"So I defended myself. I knocked him unconscious. Then I remembered of something of importance and came back home. Waluigi arrived some time later, and he showed me the javelin with the Bowser seal. I told him he`d get in trouble if he would keep the javelin, so he left to hide it."

"Hold it!" Toddtoad said. "How could you know that?"

"Bowser`s army is everywhere. It`s for sure that he would get caught if he was seen holding anything bearing the Bowser seal…"

"Okay. Well, that`s all for your second testimony I guess. Can you move on to the final part?"

"Yes. I left for the Fair, and there I saw Daisy. I tried handing her the shirt, but she attacked me! I ran away and hid in the Shop. There I ate a garlic hot dog with a garlic soft drink. I saw Birdo borrowing rocket shoes, and I guessed what she was up to. I followed her to Peach`s Castle, and we fought. However I had to escape. I went to Bowser`s Castle, and there I found Daisy, who attacked me – again! She even threw me a javelin! She decided we could arrange all that in this Court, so we left, and we saw Yoshi dead while passing by the Beach."

"Cross-examination may continue," Toadsworth said for a final time.

"I left for the Fair, and there I saw Daisy. I tried handing her the shirt, but she attacked me!"

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "Everyone wants to attack you or what?"

"It seems so."

"Well, it`s now official, everyone wants to bash Wario, but everyone has their reason. Yoshi wanted his eggs, and Daisy wanted her flower shirt. She attacked you to get her clothe back."

"I should have guessed," Wario said, face-palming.

"Anyway, let`s continue."

"I ran away and hid in the Shop. There I ate a garlic hot dog with a garlic soft drink. I saw Birdo borrowing rocket shoes, and I guessed what she was up to. I followed her to Peach`s Castle, and we fought."

"And when we think that you two were fighting for the same thing… Each wanted the Yoshi eggs. For almost the same reason. Birdo wanted to get them so she could borrow anything in Toadswore`s shop for free. She never knew why Toadswore needed them, or else she would have kept them for herself," Kamek deducted.

"OBJECTION!" Toddtoad yelled. "She`s already as light as a Yoshi, so actually, she has no need for Yoshi eggs, or Yoshi scrambled eggs in this case. Anyway, let`s hear Wario again."

"However I had to escape. I went to Bowser`s Castle, and there I found Daisy, who attacked me – again! She even threw me a javelin!"

"Hold it!" Toddtoad yelled. "We know about it. We remember she threw you a javelin. Was it the one with the Bower seal on it?"

"Yes… it was that one! I supposed Waluigi hid it there."

"She decided we could arrange all that in this Court, so we left, and we saw Yoshi dead while passing by the Beach."

"And… that`s how we FINALLY end this whole trial," Kamek said.

"WAIT!" Toddtoad yelled. "There`s still one thing to be discovered… who murdered Yoshi? Princess Daisy or Waluigi?"

"Um… it is not a murder, actually," Toadsworth corrected. "The two javelins have been thrown by accident. Princess Daisy was aiming at someone else, and Waluigi had no idea what was to happen. The correct term is manslaughter – or here, "dinoslaughter"."

Just then, Shroomlock arrived in the Courtroom.

"Sir, we discovered something! We found a way to clean off the blood on the blade, and we discovered… a Bower seal!"

***

Princess Daisy arrived at light-speed in the Courtroom. One would believe she was Sonic`s cousin. However, when she learned what she`s accused of, she wanted to be there. Fulfill her duties. Something similar. As soon as she arrived in the Courtoom, behind the stand, Toadsworth slammed the hammer on his desk, and began talking.

"Princess Daisy, you are accused of dinoslaughter. The javelin has been cleaned and we discovered the Bowser seal under the blood. The events also showed that you were the one who threw the javelin. Thus, my verdict is that Princess Daisy is…"

"OBJECTION!" someone yelled, surprising everyone in the room.

* * *

In next chapter: WTF? What is happening? I hadn`t planned that! Well, let`s see who yelled that. I`ll do my best to change the ending to what the one who yelled objection wants.


	13. Acting detective?

Chapter 13: ?????? Playing detective?

"My verdict is that Princess Daisy is…" Toadsworth began.

"OBJECTION!"

The yell was heard in he whole Courtroom.

Everyone was wide-eyed. No one knew what was happening. Until they recognized the voice. It was… Luigi? The plumber, looking at everyone with more self-confidence than ever, was ready to save the one he loves.

"LUIGI?" Everyone yelled.

"What are you doing?" Kamek asks.

"I`m not saving Princess Daisy. Actually, I think there are some things we are wrong on. You remember the small game we used to find out which Koopaling had used the seal-less javelin?"

Toddtoad nodded.

"Well, this whole case is a complete game like this. See, we have many things: the location, the weapon, the victim, and of course the day the victim had. First off, let`s take a look back at how Yoshi died."

"He was found dead on Sunny Mushroom Beach, with the Bowser-seal javelin through his heart," Toadsworth recalled.

"Yes, THROUGHH HIS HEART…"

"Yes, through his heart," Kamek said. "Get to the point."

"First off, the location. We understood since a while that the Beach was used by almost everyone at least once to go from one place to another. This means the Beach is located somewhere in the middle." Luigi took out a paper and a pencil, and drew a small circle in the middle, then surrounded it with many other circles, and linked all the surrounding circles to the circle in the center. "Each line is approximately a thirty-minute walk. As we saw, going from one location to another takes an hour. This means the Beach is in the center of it all. Then, we remember that the javelin was thrown from Bowser`s Castle." Luigi wrote "Bowser`s Castle" near one of the surrounding circles. "If the path from Bowser`s Castle to the Beach is about thirty minutes if you go straight and don`t stop on the way, then something is strange."

"Get to the point!" Kamek yelled.

"See, it`s difficult to throw a javelin at such a distance. I`d even say it`s impossible. Butthanks to Daisy`s Superthrower, it reached the Beach. Now, Daisy wasn`t aiming at Yoshi. Remember, she was attacking Wario. However, if she wasn`t aiming, how could she have hit Yoshi`s heart from that far? It`s impossible."

"Are you saying someone else did it? Someone we haven`t interrogated about it?"

"No, the solution is simpler… now that you all understand why I believe this story is fishy, let`s get to the next point: the victim. We all know how Yoshi is."

"Yes; he`s light-hearted, always nice, and always ready to help his friends. However, when something bad happens, he`s easily sad, and he can also feel terrible," Toadsworth said.

"Yes. However, his death would have been something too big. Let`s review his day now. I`ll explain it first as a whole, like some kind of testimony, then we will understand what happened."

"At 7 AM, he was eating on the Beach when Wario stole his eggs. Trying to protect his belongings, Yoshi runs after Wario, but the plumber ends behind Peach`s Castle before and hides the eggs in a tree. Yoshi does not find them and goes back on the Beach. It`s now 10 AM. Princess Peach finds him on the way and brings him back. There they see Birdo`s towel, so Peach suggests he guards it by sleeping on it. As such, when Birdo is back on the Beach, somewhere around 11 AM, she thinks he stole it. But Yoshi explains the story about the eggs, so she decides to go find them behind Peach`s Castle."

"Yoshi leaves for Mario`s house. Here eh finds Wario. They fight, and Yoshi is knocked unconscious. Princess Daisy finds him and wakes him up. He tells her about Wario stealing his eggs, so she swears revenge. Together they go to the Tennis Court. There Princess Daisy takes back Wario`s underwear. Yoshi decides to go take a look again behind Peach`s Castle. However, he meets Birdo, who`s holding the Anything-Gaddfinder – she lies and tells him she is actually trying to find them for him. Thinking Birdo was telling the truth, he goes back on the Beach."

"At 4 PM, Yoshi arrives on the Beach and finds Tatanga trying to sunbathe. Daisy arrives as well and she threatens the alien, until they finally leave. However Yoshi goes a final time to Peach`s Castle, but when he arrives he sees Birdo, using the rocket shoes to reach the eggs. Maybe he hears her talk about her real motives, so he goes back to the Beach, heartbroken. That`s when the javelin arrives from nowhere and goes through his heart."

"That`s exactly what happened to Yoshi," Toddtoad said.

"Yes, but look at how the day was spent: he was always trying to get his eggs. He couldn`t find them, and this made him sad. A first problem for him. Then, later that day, as he meets Wario again, he battles, hoping to learn where his eggs are. This is useless. Later, he hears Birdo talking about scrambled eggs while she`s picking up the eggs in the tree, so he gets heartbroken."

"He`s had a rough day, we understood. Now can you tell us what happened?" Kamek said, impatient.

"Hold on, I`m not done yet. See, w know Yoshi is light-hearted, but he easily takes things personal. As a result, a day full of problems like that one would make him depressive, and in the end, since he would think of it as the only solution…"

"You`ve got to be kidding!" Kamek yelled. "Are you saying that the real killer is nobody who passed here to testify, because the killer was killed as well… in other words, are you suggesting that Yoshi committed suicide?"

"That`s exactly my point. Or something like that."

"It makes no sense!" Kamek yelled.

"Actually it does. You don`t know Yoshi. He`s always happy as long as nothing bad happens. When something terrible happens, he gets depressive. Besides, it`s only when it`s personal. When he helps us fighting Bowser, it`s not personal, he just helps the heroes. He likes to help. But he got his eggs stolen and he lost his possible girlfriend. That was too much for him."

"I agree with Kamek, Luigi…" Toadsworth said. "You can`t say Yoshi committed suicide only because you know him well!"

"Actually, only one thing has been ticking me. Remember how we found the javelin?"

"Yes, through the heart…"

"That`s it, though the HEART! And the person who threw it was thirty minutes far away! It is impossible to make such a precise throw at such a speed and that far, mostly if we were aiming at someone else! My theory is that Yoshi saw the javelin coming, and he positioned himself so that the javelin hits on the spot. On his heart."

"Well, I gotta admit you may be right on that one, finally," Toddtoad said.

"Yes, it makes sense. But now he`s dead, and there`s no way to revive him…" Kamek said.

"I`m not so sure about that… I know Mario always keeps a 1-Up Mushroom hidden behind the house. Toadsworth, do you think the Toad Brigade can go get it and bring it to Yoshi?"

"…I think so…"

***

The case is closed. Luckily. Everyone was fed up. This case had taken so much time to solve, and the answer was so… mundane compared to what everyone else was expecting!

Birdo and Wario have been called in the coroner room. Birdo was asked to bring the eggs with her. Luigi let the 1-Up Mushroom in Yoshi`s mouth and made him munch. Automatically, the mushroom had an effect, and soon Yoshi was alive again. As if nothing had happened, the hole below his left shoulder had disappeared. The dinosaur immediately remembered the day and began crying, until Birdo gave him his eggs. Yoshi took them, and a little smile appeared on his face. Just then Birdo kissed him on the cheek and Yoshi was shining of happiness. Wario finally apologized, and Yoshi accepted.

All`s well that ends well in the Mushroom Kingdom, once again. And this time it`s not Mario who solved the story.

* * *

Author`s notes: Who guessed right? The whole idea of the fanfic was at first to use the same concept than the Ace Attorney series, but the deduction part of it was left to you readers. Sometimes simple details reveal the answer. The thing that was to be looked for is how the javelin struck Yoshi. Luigi clearly said that it`s impossible to shoot so precisely because of the distance and also the target. Actually this could have been guessed from the beginning.

Anyway, it`s the end of Toddtoad Ace Attorney. I was also getting a little fed up of writing only dialogs, that`s why I`ve been waiting some days before finishing it. But now that the case is closed, you readers will just have to wait that someone else writes a similar story to this one – why don`t you try it?

Here`s how I wrote it. First of all, I wrote the complete day. What happened each hour for each character, and then I used this to write the testimonies. This took me two or three days, but it was worth the story. After all, if a mystery isn`t complicated and you find out who did it right away, then it`s boring. Remember this word of advice: sometimes only a few words can completely transform the original case. Use it well if you try it!


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